By Emma Clark
Staff Writer
At the end of January, the Senior class received an email reminding them that graduation was only 12 short weeks away, the email also included a proposal and survey of changes to Senior Week which takes place May 6 – 10. Seniors had mixed feelings about the proposed changes. As the end of the year becomes closer, seniors want to know what to expect.
The largest proposed change was to replace the traditional boat cruise on Lake Champlain with a pub crawl.“The whole purpose of senior week is to bring people together,” said Annabelle Elvidge ‘20. “If the event is changed from a boat cruise to a pub crawl I worry that groups will break off and do their own thing, defeating the purpose of the event from the beginning.” “That was a big piece of feedback,” said Abby Carbonneau, one of the senior class officers who is helping to plan the week’s events. “People liked the idea but they didn’t want to be shuffled from place to place or to be split up, they wanted a unifying event.” She explained that the senior class officers who plan the events of the week and sent out the initial survey about the changes want to create a memorable event that includes all students. “Pub crawl was the initial idea,”We want to create a home base area so that the class is together and then drink specials happening at different places throughout the night. Once the main event is over, you can still keep going and have fun but it’s not like we are splitting the class up.
The class officers said they have listened to the concerns of students and are working to create a new plan that offers more to seniors throughout the night. Class officer Dimitri Stamoulis said he is aware of those who don’t drink and is working to create a more inclusive event. “If we have a home base, it will be food and field activities. A, concert is a possibility or having something going on downtown, figuring out something that isn’t alcohol related,” Stamoulis said.
Senior week has been the same for the past few years and the officers took advantage of being able to bring new ideas to the table. “We just wanted everyone to know that just because everyone has copied and pasted the schedule from year to year, we don’t have to do that, we can if we want to, but there are other options,” Carbonneau said.
Although the boat cruise has been a large part of Senior Week in the past, alumni and faculty have expressed negative opinions and the class officers are taking those into consideration with the new changes. “We can’t please everyone but we are trying to do what will make the most sense but also have the most backing behind it” says Carbonneau. Senior Week planning is still in the works and all feedback and new ideas are welcomed.