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Junior-Senior Dinner

 

Every year, before the semester comes to an end and the Senior Class officially bids farewell to Thomas Aquinas College, the Junior Class throws a goodbye dinner and dance in honor of the soon-to-be graduates. 

The event gives the upperclassmen a moment to reflect on their shared history together, and, for the seniors who have seen three classes graduate before them, it feels like a rite of passage to graduation day. “You see all of the people ahead of us go through the program and talk about their experience, and think, ‘Someday I’ll be like that’ … and now we’re here,” reflected Greg Roberts (’25). “It’s really surreal!”

Photos: Junior-Senior Dinner
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Dressed in their best for the formal occasion, the juniors and seniors met in St. Cecilia Hall on Saturday evening for a social hour, enjoying light refreshments and good company before sitting down to dinner together. The diners took shelter from a surprising May drizzle under the arcade in the Academic Quadrangle, where long tables lined the walkway from the St. Bernadine of Sienna Library past St. Gladys Hall. All along the tables, the two classes shared in both conversation and the meal that many of the juniors had generously prepared.

After their plates were cleared away, the juniors and seniors spent time toasting one another, honoring the many friendships formed between the two classes over the years. One by one, upperclassmen raised their glasses, calling friends out by name and sharing their admiration and gratitude for members of the other class. “It’s really nice to get to acknowledge and celebrate each other. We’ve been together for three years!” said Madeleine Wunschel (’26).

When the last glass was raised and the final cheers died away, the party returned to St. Cecilia Hall, where the juniors played a slideshow, highlighting their memories of the Senior Class. Afterward, the juniors and seniors turned their attention to making new memories, finishing the evening with a dance which went late into the night. 

The seniors, impressed by the work that went into giving them such a heartfelt goodbye, were grateful to the Junior Class. “They did a beautiful job,” said Hannah Smillie (’25). “It’s really special to have this evening together.”