News
Senior Week 2015 brings notable changes
By Jack Cartwright ’15
March 6, 2015
Before making their way across the stage at Commencement, Hamilton College seniors have a chance to have fun with their friends on campus one last time during Senior Week. The week is made up of many traditionally annual events including Senior Formal, concentrator dinners at President Stewart’s home as well as the notorious ‘last chance dance.’ The Senior Formal in particular has traditionally been held at Hotel Utica in downtown Utica — until this year.
Senior Week is organized by the Senior Week Planning Committee, which is made up of seven senior Student Assembly members and two appointed members. The Student Assembly members are Abby Armstrong ’15, Sara Nolan ’16, Elizabeth Rodriguez ’15, Erik Marks ’15, Brady Sprague ’15, Don Stayner ’15 and Catie Cooper ’15. The appointed members are Kevin Welsh ’15 and Anthony Jackson ’15. Cooper chairs the committee and she and its members report to Associate Dean of Student Engagement and Leadership Lisa Magnarelli ’96.
In an email, sent Sunday to the members of the Class of 2015, the Senior Week Planning Committee announced that there would be two specific changes to this year’s senior week. The email stated that the group was asked to rethink Senior Formal due to “poor behavior in recent years.” According to Magnarelli, some of that behavior consisted of “acts such as property damage, public urination, trespassing, pulled fire alarms and disrespectful behavior toward staff members at the Hotel Utica and the shuttle drivers.” Consequently, the group sought other alternatives for the night. In an email, Welsh said they looked at several off-campus alternatives. However, when the President’s Office offered to help foot the bill for the event, “the financial benefits of using the President’s money would outweigh any off campus option, so we never got into specifics about other sites.’
Working with President Stewart’s office, they came up with a solution to the Senior Formal predicament. Replacing both the senior concentrator dinner and the Senior Formal will be the President’s Gala held on the Dunham Green. The changes represent a pilot program, and are open to revision in future years.
There are several components to the President’s Gala. According to the email, there will be a “formal reception, seated dinner with members of your concentration and professors, remarks from President Joan Hinde Stewart and finally, an ‘After Party’ with a DJ and a dance floor.” There will be no hard alcohol allowed at the event; however, beer and wine will be served.
In email correspondence with The Spectator, Cooper further elaborated on some of the changes. During the dinner, “students will have an opportunity to mingle with faculty and administrators while also partaking in a delicious meal.” Additionally, the group will ask seniors to nominate faculty members to speak during the meal. Afterwards, the dance will include food, drinks and even a photo booth. One silver lining that Cooper points out is that instead of having to pay for the pricey ticket to the formal at Hotel Utica, the cost of the event is free with the purchase of a Senior Week ticket. Finally, Cooper said that she knows “the changes can be jarring, but I want everyone to know, that we plan to make this the best Senior Week yet.”