Every year, the Department of Development & Alumni Engagement hosts Senior Send-Off: a series of events intended for graduating seniors to celebrate the culmination of their hard work and time at Moravian. This year, there are four events planned, all held in the HUB and limited to Class of 2026 seniors with no guest access.
The Office of the President hosts a free Wine & Cheese on May 6 with drinks and hors d’oeuvres; the following night, the Senior Gala costs $50 and includes a full dinner buffet, a DJ and a photo booth. Earlier in the year, the “100 Days ’til Graduation” event in January cost $10 and included light refreshments. The lineup also includes Senior Sunset in April, a free, more casual event with snacks, games and a raffle.
Here’s what some of the graduating seniors from The Comenian wished would change for future students at Moravian:
Liz: Coming from a poor student, all I want from events is that they are free! That’s all I care about. I don’t have a lot of money, and senior year comes with unexpected costs, such as graduation regalia and senior pictures. Yes, this even goes for cheap events! I registered for the 100 Days Until Graduation event earlier in the semester, and if I’m remembering right, it was $10 to go.
Now, this may not seem like a lot of money, but at this point in the semester, I genuinely had nothing to my name and could not afford to go, had it not been for my mom paying for my ticket. I couldn’t attend due to other commitments, so I can’t speak on the event itself.
Otherwise, I want events spread out across different days and times! I’m taking a night class, so I’m completely unavailable on Tuesday and Thursday nights (hence why I had to miss 100 Days Until Graduation). Having two of the four Senior Send Off events on Thursdays is a little frustrating for me because I have no option but to skip class.
And, the $50 price for the Senior Gala seems a little extreme to me. I love Moravian and don’t expect anything in return, but it would be nice to have a paid-for Gala, considering I’ve spent the last four years of my life here. For many students, this price tag makes the event simply unattainable, and, in my opinion, that is not fair, especially considering Moravian’s values of educating everyone regardless of financial status.
Senior Send Off is supposed to be a collective closing moment, something that feels inclusive and reflective of the entire student body, but right now, if you can’t afford certain events or can’t make specific time slots, you do feel like you’re missing out on something that you can never recreate.
Maybe I speak for myself here, but in my last semester at Moravian, I’m learning to cherish every moment as my last, and I don’t want to regret not attending these events while looking back in the future. However, sometimes it is simply not possible, whether that be due to financial or scheduling reasons, so I think having more events would offer a great opportunity to involve all seniors.
I know it’s a lot of work to organize these events, and I would like to take a moment to shout out the people who make them possible, whether that’s the Senior Class Gift Committee or the faculty and staff who assist. This article is in no way meant to diminish the work they all put into these events, but rather to offer advice from a graduating senior on how I think they can be improved.
In future years, maybe a survey asking seniors in advance about their availability would go a long way, as I know I am not the only person unable to attend certain events due to consistent scheduling conflicts.
At the end of the day, this is one of the last chances for our class to come together before we all go our separate ways, and I know I would love to see as many of my peers as possible at these events.
Fatimah: I’m excited for senior week as much as the next disillusioned undergrad senior ready to graduate, but I want more out of my senior week. Like Liz, I really wish the events were free. I just hate that I’m stretching every dollar and coin for my graduation dress, cap and gown, honors cords, cap decorating supplies AND senior week events on top of that. I will still go to the Senior Gala because I will take any chance I can get to be dressed to the nines. But, I hope that Moravian in the future can waive these prices because every senior, no matter their financial situation, should not have to pay for celebratory events to commemorate the end of their college journey.
I also want to expand on the scheduling of events because I wish some events, like the gala, weren’t that late into the night. For some, 8 pm to 10 pm may not seem late, but for plenty of commuters, that isn’t exactly an ideal time we want to be out and about. Some of us want to be home before so we can have time to be home.
In the future, I’m also hoping for more variety of events. Why not host a gathering at Burnside Plantation or even the Icehouse? It would be nice to have an event that isn’t restricted to the Moravian campus.
Cat: I wish I could say I’m excited about senior week and the chance to hang out with people from my class one last time, because for a lot of us, this is probably the last time we’ll all really be together. But honestly, these events are not exciting enough for me to spend my money on them. As a student teacher, I do not exactly have extra money lying around, so unfortunately, I will not be going. I would honestly rather just hang out with my friends and do something that actually feels worth it.
Not having to dress up is also a major plus, as it already makes my choice easier. I just wish there was a little more effort put into asking seniors what they actually want instead of assuming these events are enough. If senior week is supposed to be for seniors, then it should actually feel like something we would want to go to.
Also, the fact that wine and cheese have run out of wine before the end of the event is kind of ridiculous and honestly tells you everything you need to know. It just makes the whole thing feel poorly planned and not really thought through.
Anyway, I hope everyone who goes has a good time, but it is just not for me.
Megan: I agree with everyone else when they say the Senior Gala is too expensive. On top of all the other money seniors may be spending on graduation regalia, the Senior Class Gift, or an outfit for graduation, it’s painful to see the $50 price tag on gala tickets.
I originally wasn’t going to go because of the expense, but my friends convinced me to. I don’t want to miss any more moments with them. I’m excited, but still begrudgingly handing over my $50. Money comes back, right?
I do appreciate the free events, though. Although I wasn’t able to make Senior Sunset, it seemed really fun. And I’m looking forward to Wine and Cheese. But I do wish there were more free events or goodies.
