The architecture student association at UQ, it has always been somewhat confusing for those not in the know as to what Bruce is or might stand for. Simply put, nobody really knows. There are many tales about the origin of “Bruce” as a name for the architecture students association. Some say that Bruce was the name of an enterprising student who had the bright idea to sell bulk bought paper at a discount to students. Others believe that Bruce ( perhaps the same student) gained notoriety after buying a double decker bus for use by students on field trips and then proceeded to drive the aforementioned bus into low hanging power lines.
The one story that seems to be in vogue at the moment, and colourful despite lacking reference to a real student of past times, is that the name “Bruce” has ties to Monty Python. It seems that our beloved student association was named after the Monty Python skit of the same name i.e. the skit where all the Aussies are introduced to the Pom as Bruce.
One way or the other, we’re stuck with the name Bruce and in a sense its ambiguity is an advantage. It acts similar to Clark Kent’s reading glasses in that they provide a degree of anonymity and, whether our collective deeds are glorious or they blow up in our face, we’re blessed with the ability to slip into the night and become modern myths.
What began with an almost arbitrary decision in name giving has provided us with a platform on which we can continue to provide services for the common architecture student on the street and baffle everybody else with our elusiveness – “BRUCE Architecture society, 1998”
