Article by Resident Celia Watson (2026 Communications Intern)
In 1971, a group of college students celebrated Burgmann’s founding through a series of odd activities. 55 years on, these festivities have become revered traditions completed at ungodly hours of the morning.
After a chaotic early wakeup, the college gathered together in the dining hall and confessed their sins to the College’s patron saint, St Beryl. As legend has it, should we not confess, bricks may start falling from the sky. In true Burgmann fashion, the day then went on to get ferociously competitive. Representatives from each floor competed in a triathlon-type event, only, instead of running, swimming and biking, competitors ran Burgmann’s foundational bricks around the college, swam in Sullivan’s Creek, and drank a concoction of spam, fish, milk and God knows what else for Irongut. Much to the chagrin of floor-sacrifices however, all that came out of these intense battles was laughter. The brick race was inconclusive (and not actually with foundational bricks), the crisp Saturday morning swim was more chilly than rewarding, and not much of those weirdly pink mixtures stayed down.
With the sun rising and foam adding mud and merriment to the morning, spirits remained high as the College took to a prolonged dance session to college DJ talent on the back lawn. Even though many clothes and blonde hair have been irreversibly stained by coloured chalk, the memories from this Burg Day are just as permanent. A huge congratulations must go to organiser Charlotte Grant with her prowess at wheeling out party pies, operating a comically large foam canon, and coordinating the best Burg Day in College memory. All Ressies were tucked in at midday, no peep to be heard for 24 hours.
