This year, senior appreciation is taking on a whole new look. Instead of an activity-crammed week at the end of the academic year, senior-centered events are going on monthly.
“In the past, senior appreciation events have always taken place the last week of school before graduation.
“With everybody’s responsibilities for the end of the year, seniors really didn’t have a chance to enjoy their last week at Loyola,” said Student Government Association president Elliot Sanchez, philosophy senior.
According to Sanchez and Senior Appreciation Committee Chairman Jake Parvino, marketing senior, the new senior appreciation events will range from a zoo safari to free snowballs, to the much-anticipated celebration at the end of the year, Maroon and Gold Night.
The committee considered adopting Swamp Stomp as a senior event, as it is no longer being used for freshman orientation, but they rejected the idea.
The funding for these activities will come from SGA and other administrative funding on campus.
In the opinions of Sanchez and Parvino, the monthly events will enable seniors to better enjoy their last year at Loyola.
In previous years, Loyola alumni planned senior appreciation. However, in the wake of Katrina, a lot of the planning that went into senior appreciation was pushed aside in favor of more pressing issues.
The events for the 2007 seniors were planned in a hurry at the beginning of the spring semester, said Sanchez. This is why, he said, a Senior Appreciation Committee has been formed to more effectively plan memorable events for seniors.
“We hope that with senior appreciation being spread out all year long, seniors will better be able to enjoy their last year and celebrate all of their accomplishments,” Parvino said.
The Senior Appreciation Committee, which is made up of Loyola students of all years and from many organizations on campus, hopes to establish traditions for seniors at Loyola. Parvino said he hopes that someday senior appreciation events will become must-do activities for students before they graduate.
Elise Madere can be reached at [email protected].
