At the end of every school year, Benilde-St. Margaret’s hosts a party for the senior class. Right after the graduation ceremony, seniors take some pictures in their cap and gown, then change clothes and board a bus for the party. The senior party is hosted at a facility with lots of activities and goes until 2 a.m.
Throughout the year, there are opportunities like school dances and other spirit events that encourage seniors to come together and celebrate. However, the end-of-the-year senior party celebrates the time the seniors spent together throughout their four years at BSM and gives people a chance to connect with people they might not see again. The end of the year can be a busy time, especially for seniors, but this is a set date that students know they can look forward to. Several seniors get excited about the party because it is both sentimental and fun. “I think it’ll be a fun opportunity for us as a grade to bond one last time because we’ll probably never be together again,” senior Ava Black said.
A relatively new rule for the party is that students can only bring themselves and a phone. Students like this policy because it makes the party more intimate, but they are still able to take pictures with each other and capture the moment. Students can just focus on being with each other and doing all of the fun activities without having to worry about forgetting something. “I think it should be about talking to everybody and saying goodbye, so I don’t think we should have anything else,” senior Zach Moonan said.
The senior party is the only school event that goes past midnight. As of now, the party will go until 2 a.m. and the location of it is a surprise. It is fun for students because they do not know where the party will be until they get there. Once they arrive at the location, students are not allowed to leave. It might seem late for a school event, but it is the last time the senior class is all together, so most want to soak it in while they can. “I think the party [going] until two is fine, but I think any later than that gets too late,” senior Ellie Hilbrands said.