05 Senior Week aims to please all - Schedule of festivities to include trips into Baltimore's nightlife and on-campus events

When the Senior Class Council was planning and scheduling the events for Senior Week early this semester, the group had a few criteria in mind.

First they looked at the agendas of last year's class and the Class of 2003, which revived the Senior Week tradition two years ago, to see if they could repeat events that were well-received.

"We were looking at things that had been successful in the past," said Senior Class President Payal Patel.

Then they tried to think of ways to engage as many members of the senior class as possible, a strategy that has incorporated a party on the upper quad and a luncheon in the President's Garden into the schedule for students who may not want to take the trip off campus and downtown to celebrate. "We wanted to hit up the whole senior class," Patel said.

For those who are enticed by Baltimore nightlife, the Senior Week schedule also includes a pub crawl at Power Plant Live!, a club night at new dance venue and bar Iguana Cantina, and both a formal event at the Hyatt Regency Hotel and an afternoon cruise on the city's Inner Harbor.

Patel notes that in years past the formal has been the anchoring occasion of the week, but that this year's schedule had room for two large events.

"The cruise and the formal are both really huge events," she said. Due to space constraints, only the first 400 students to purchase Senior Week package tickets will be able to attend the cruise.

The total cost for the week's events will run students $175, a price which, for many of the occasions, includes both transportation to and from the events and drinks.

Those who purchase tickets after the 400 cruise spots are accounted for will receive a refund of $40.

Additional events, including trips to Six Flags and Atlantic City, and transportation and admission to Preakness, will be offered at an extra cost.

While the price of the senior week package is pretty hefty, Patel notes that it was unavoidable. "We're trying to make sure we don't graduate in debt and that we don't charge you guys extra either," she said.

Some students seem concerned with the cost of the week's lineup, though it still may not be enough to keep them from attending the events.

"It's a way to celebrate the end of the year and see everybody," said senior Katie Moody. "I probably will still buy it, but it does seem like a lot of money that not everybody could afford."

A budget for the event lineup is not yet finalized, but part of the total cost is being defrayed by campus sponsors.

The Alumni Association, President's Office and Dean of Student Life are all helping the class with funding for the Senior Week festivities.

According to Patel, the Council is still approaching additional donors at this point as well.

Tickets for Senior Week are being sold this week at the Mattin Center, and letters were recently sent home to parents offering them the opportunity to purchase event packages for their students. Seniors have received emails announcing the events and linking them to the corresponding web site, http://www.jhu.edu/~class2005, that describes the details of the events and their costs.

Patel finds that her classmates' overall response to the senior class council's agenda has been positive. "I think a lot of people are excited," she said.

After having attended the Class of 2003's party on the upper quad two years ago, Patel also shares in their enthusiasm and has her favorite events already picked out. "I'm really looking forward to the formal and the party on the upper quad," she said.

Moody agrees that Senior Week is something for students to get excited about. "It's important, just because the social life at Hopkins isn't always the greatest," she said. "It's good when the school promotes [a social scene]."