[media-credit name=”Ilana Sherman” align=”alignright” width=”79″][/media-credit]The class of 2019 has the opportunity to celebrate its final semester by participating in the senior experience model, but it appears that for some students, the choice to even participate is out of the question.

It is going to be a challenge for several students to attend certain events because of their conflicting schedules. Despite this issue, the ability to attend any of the senior experience events are optional unlike previous senior weeks, where if you decided to participate, it was mandatory to attend every single event. This may provide students some relief that they will not receive consequences for not being a part of the senior experience.

“In the past, if you participated in senior week, you had to go to everything,” Hannah Pancak, assistant director of campus life for student centers & student involvement said. “Once you’re there you had to go to everything and if not then you were sent home.”

Pancak said that she has tried very hard to accommodate all of the seniors so they could enjoy the senior experience activities, such as by spacing out the events throughout the semester and having them take place on different days of the week.

“We took into consideration nursing and health sciences that have clinicals, trying to do some things not only on Saturdays just because that’s typically a very busy day for some seniors who are doing those clinicals or rotations,” Pancak said. “That’s why we tried to do some Thursday, Friday and a Sunday events.”

Campus Life has also sent emails to the class of 2019 on Friday, Jan. 25, allowing them to fill out a senior experience “early bird” registration that would give them a reserved spot for discounted tickets on the activities planned for the semester until Wednesday, Jan. 30.

A free R-rated hypnotist show featuring magician Sailesh was the first event that took place on Thursday, Jan. 31, The upcoming events following that include a Toad’s takeover on Thursday, Feb. 28 with a regular price of $30, Sunday Funday at Stony Creek Brewery on Sunday, April 7 for $45, Mohegan Sun casino overnight on Friday, April 12 for $150, and a full day at Holiday Hill on Thursday, May 16 for $50.

“I know I had over 600 people fill out a registration form, which is really great because last year we had around 720 people participate in senior week. So for the first early bird session and having over 600 people even fill out a form, I feel that there was really good interest,” Pancak said. “I know there’s going to be a lot of people waiting for the regular form to come out because now people are like, ‘Oh, OK this is serious. My friends are already signing up.’”

Senior Class President of the Student Government Association (SGA) Matthew Corso said that the senior cabinet was minimally involved in the process of setting up the senior experience, however he, along with Senior Vice President Allison Kuhn, were allowed to give feedback to some of the events planned for senior experience that they thought was best to keep.

“These events can accommodate large amounts of our class creating a great experience during our last semester,” Corso said. “Events on different days help with schedule conflicts for many students, but also some of the events just make sense on the days that they are.”

Senior English major Nivea Acosta said she realized that at least one of her sorority events lands on a day where she could have attended a senior experience event instead. However, she said that she understands how difficult it could be for to accommodate every single senior student in the class of 2019.

“I think they’re trying their best to accommodate seniors,” Acosta said. “I wouldn’t be upset if I missed most of senior experience. Maybe only Mohegan, but other than that not really. I can always go to Toad’s and stuff if I wanted to.”

Senior English major Jenna Ruderman said that she wouldn’t be disappointed either to miss out on any events, but this is because she wasn’t satisfied with the outcome of the senior model in the first place.

“I don’t intend on going to any of the events except possibly Holiday Hill. One of the reasons is that I’m disappointed with the choice of events. This is a complete and utter let down,” Ruderman said. “I was one of the people that voted for senior week, so I was disappointed regardless. However, I feel that the events planned don’t make up for taking away that special week.”

Kuhn said that the Student Experience Committee has worked very hard to involve numerous students’ opinions and ideas throughout the process of forming senior experience, therefore she is confident that the senior experience will be able to provide at least most of the class of 2019 a fun and fulfilling semester.

“The Student Experience Committee has puts months of work and planning into these events, to give seniors the best experience possible,” Kuhn said. “These events spread out through the semester are going to leave a positive note on the entire semester, rather than just the final week.”