By Heather Monahan
Features Assignment Editor
Anyone who takes part in St. Bonaventure nightlife knows Sean Miller. But how much do students really know about the man behind the camera at Bonaventure parties?
Though 31-year-old Miller never studied at St. Bonaventure, he said he still feels strong ties to the university.
“I grew up in the area so I’m what you would call a ‘townie,’” Miller said. “I spent time at St. Bonaventure during high school and on breaks from college. I love the area; I lived in Buffalo for a month after college, but it wasn’t the same.”
Although Miller studied at Alfred State and Fredonia State, the draw of Olean led him back home after graduation. He now works as an attendant in the Hickey Dining Hall and in utility at the Applebee’s in Olean. On the side, Miller is an amateur photographer.
“I’ve (photographed) rugby on and off for six years,” Miller said. “By the end of the year, I hope to photograph softball and baseball games. In the fall, I’ll move to soccer.”
Though he does photograph sports for Bonaventure, Miller is perhaps most well-known for photographing student nightlife on and off campus.
“It wouldn’t be a Friday or Saturday without seeing Sean Miller,” said junior journalism and mass communication major Alex Broughton. “He’s the sweetest guy and an amazing photographer.”
Each weekend, students can count on seeing Miller on the streets of Allegany and at various house parties photographing party scenes. His own college party scene is how he got his nickname, Snake.
“It’s my old rugby name from Fredonia,” Miller said. “Whenever I came home drunk from the bars, people said I wavered around like a slithering snake.”
In addition to Bonaventure, Miller has also photographed events at many other colleges in the Buffalo area. However, he said Bonaventure and Fredonia are his favorite places to photograph.
“I think St. Bonaventure compares the best to Fredonia out of all the colleges I’ve been to,” Miller said. “There’s just something about the atmosphere and student life that makes both schools memorable. What I like about SBU is that it can have that effect on me with half the student population Fredonia has.”
St. Bonaventure is known for its close community feeling, often referred to as the ‘Bona Bubble.’ Miller said this is what makes the school so special to him.
“Class after class, I don’t think there’s a more tightly-knit group of students than there are at SBU,” he said. “When alumni who’ve been out of school for one, two or even five years keep coming back weekend after weekend, it says a lot.”
According to students, Miller has just as much of an effect on the school.
“When I look back on my years at Bona’s, he’s a person I’ll definitely remember,” said junior journalism and mass communication major Kevin Caufield.
Just as Miller favors certain schools, he favors one Bonaventure event in particular. While he covers Keg Klash, House Crawl and Spring Weekend annually, he said his favorite event is Keg Klash.
“It’s at one place and I don’t need to run from house to house catch up with the action,” Miller said.
While there’s no doubt Bonaventure has a thriving night life, no one can keep up with parties like Miller can.
“Freshmen wouldn’t know where to go if it wasn’t for Sean Miller,” Caufield said.
Freshman business management major Naudia Saroyan-Dunn said she looks forward to seeing Miller on the weekends.
“He always has a smile on and he’s such a fun personality,” Saroyan-Dunn said.
Along with most Bonaventure students, Caufield said he regards Miller as a celebrity in the Bona Bubble.
“When Sean Miller knows your name, you know you’ve made a mark,” he said.
