Falling in between the grueling work of finals and theses and the excitement of commencement, Senior Week provided '04s with some much-needed relaxation and entertainment with a variety of events.
The week-long celebration was organized by the '04 Class Council, its president Alexa Hansen and Class Council member Fawn Draucker '04.
The festivities began on Tuesday with a well-attended kickoff picnic on the Gold Coast lawn that offered water pong, T-shirts, Taco Bell and Kentucky Fried Chicken. That event was followed later that night with the ever-popular Senior 'Tails at the Top of the Hop that featured champagne and an array of alcohol to help '04s relax after four years here.
On the afternoon of June 9, seniors went back to the Gold Coast lawn for a barbecue. Unfortunately a showing of Animal House that was to take place on the side of Blunt Alumni Center, after the conclusion of the last CFS meetings for graduates, was cancelled due to rain.
After the rain subsided on Thursday, '04s enjoyed a wine tasting event in Collis to compare a red wine of their own vintage to others. Asked how the '04 wine, fermented from grapes grown at the organic farm and flavored with hickory chips, tasted, Hansen was honest.
"I tasted it in February, and it was fine," she said. "Would I buy massive quantities of it? Maybe for nostalgic reasons."
The event was also intended as a final get-together with the faculty, which was harder to organize due to the departure of Dean of the Faculty Michael Gazzaniga. Seniors were asked to send out their own personal invites, which also allowed students the chance to fail to invite teachers they didn't like.
Friday afternoon featured a journey through a labyrinth on the Green -- the final event of Senior Week -- designed to give students the chance to reflect upon their Dartmouth experiences while enjoying ice cream floats.
Going into the labyrinth, students were asked, "How has your experience at Dartmouth changed over the years?" Upon completion of the maze, seniors were asked, "How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?"
Class Day exercises took place on Saturday morning at the Bema, following graduation rehearsal. Before 1992, seniors smashed clay pipes against the Lone Pine Stump, marking a break in ties with the College. When Native American students' protests that year forced a switched to clay cups for the 1993 Class Day, many students were injured from flying shards of clay, and thus the practice was ended altogether.
Unfortunately for the Class Council and especially for Hansen, the hectic nature of preparing for Senior Week events meant less time to spend celebrating with friends in the waning moments of senior year.
Despite the hassle of setting up Senior Week and the limited amount of time to spend with friends, Hansen and Draucker said they have been expecting this rush of obligations all year long.
Their work was worthwhile, as the events proved successful for the Class of 2004, which Hansen praised for their enthusiasm and class spirit.
"The Class of '04, compared with previous ones, is much more interested and involved," Hansen said. "They are a go-get-em class, so to speak."
