Whether they were rushing to check off every box on the list of "101 Things to Do Before You Graduate" or spending time with classmates, members of the Class of 2008 used their last week on campus to enjoy the College before they bid it farewell as undergraduates. This year's Senior Week, the time between the end of Spring term and Commencement, ran from June 3 to June 7.
Students could participate in a variety of official events throughout the week. The Dartmouth Outing Club offered the opportunity to climb the high ropes course on Wednesday and to go white river rafting on Thursday.
"I've always told myself I would go rafting, but I'd never had the chance to do DOC stuff," Jane Choi '08 said. "I'm ready to move on, but there are so many things I didn't do here. You have your priorities and decide to throw yourself into other things " I just wish I had more time or done more in the time that I had."
The 2008 Class Council also sponsored a number of events, including a Senior Spring Formal -- a new addition this year-- on Tuesday night, according to 2008 Class Council president Tess Reeder '08. Other events hosted by Class Council included an ice cream social and wine tasting on Tuesday, a trivia night on Wednesday and whiffle ball on Thursday.
Seniors could also use the week to explore the College, as Dartmouth's office of management and planning offered tours of the Heating Plant tunnels that run under the Green on Wednesday, and the Hill Wind Society offered a Dartmouth Traditions Tour on Thursday.
The officially-scheduled events were not the only way to spend time with members of the class, Reeder said, and many fraternities also hosted events over the week. Gamma Delta Chi fraternity, for example, had a cookout with head football coach Buddy Teevens '79 at his house, according to Ryan Mahoney '08, former Gamma Delt president.
Mahoney said in an interview prior to Senior Week that he also planned to take a few friends to his home in Maine to go lobstering.
"I come from a family of fishermen, and a lot of guys expressed interest in going up there," Mahoney said. "I just want to show them what it's all about, have a little lobster bake afterwards."
Claudio LoCascio '08 said in an interview prior to Senior Week that finding a balance between different social networks on campus would be his main challenge for the week.
"I think it's going to be tough because it's going to go by a lot faster than I expected," he said. "It's going to be a little hard to balance [Greek] house events with seeing my friends at different houses."
Liz Vaughan '08 agreed that senior week was a time for "taking advantage of every social opportunity." Her other specific goals included streaking the Green, skinny-dipping in the river and completing the "circuit," in which students drink a beer at every greek organization's physical plant, all for the first time.
While many students used senior week to add to their list of first experiences, others embraced their last activities on campus.Choi, for example, looked forward to enjoying her favorite meals at all of the dining halls for her final time.
LoCascio planned to celebrate his last sunrise as a Dartmouth student from the steps of Dartmouth Hall.
"I'll be there with a cigar, whiskey and a bunch of my friends," he said.