Mandatory student fees help pay for Valentine's Day ‘Build-A-Bae’ workshops

A University of Maryland student organization is hosting a Valentine’s Day event called “Build-A-Bae” for students to build teddy bears, paid for by student fees.

The Student Entertainment Events (SEE) is a student organization with a stated objective of “producing and supporting campus events that entertain, enhance, and inspire a diverse campus culture.”

“Build-A-Bae” is sponsored by SEE and held every Valentine’s Day at the University of Maryland. The event’s website states that students will be able to build a 15 inch stuffed animal for themselves or for their “bae” during the event. 

SEE Public Relations Director Julia Camina told Campus Reform that students will receive a “‘bae’ animal, a package of stuffing, and a shirt for their ‘bae’ to wear. After receiving their materials, students will be able to either move to one of our stuffing rooms or exit the event and stuff their baes in their own residences.”

According to Camina, SEE primarily receives its funding through the student activities fee, allocated by the Student Government Association.

Camina added that the event is “completely free for all UMD student attendees.” 

Due to COVID-19, students may choose to either attend the event in person or have an already assembled stuffed animal mailed to them.

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The annual event will be divided into three one-hour sessions consisting of 120 students each on February 12. Camina told Campus Reform that all Prince George’s County, Maryland, UMD, and CDC COVID-19 regulations will be followed. 

When asked what the goal of the event is, Camina told Campus Reform that “Build-a-Bae is one of SEE’s most popular annual events. Whether you’re making a bae to give to a special someone or you’re keeping it for yourself, Build-a-Bae is a super fun event and a great segway [sic] into Valentine’s Day festivities! This year, the goal of this event is to provide students with a way to connect on campus while still staying safe.”

Similarly, the University Programming Board at Loyola University-New Orleans is hosting “Bears 4 Bae,” where students can create a stuffed animal for someone else, according to The Maroon.

According to the article, students will get a variety of stuffed animals to chose from, such as “PanPan” the Panda,  “Brown Patches” Bear, “Timber” the Wolf, and more.

Campus Reform has reached out to Loyola University New Orleans for comment but did not receive a response.

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