Seniors, does it ever feel like your time at Colgate is running out? As temperatures rise above zero and a few brave birds return to Taylor Lake, the arctic tundra that is Hamilton in February becomes a bit more bearable. The ice that clings inexplicably to the Persson Steps has finally turned to slush and even the fluffiest of snowflakes are struggling to stick to Willow Path. Some would even argue that holding a cup of coffee in an ungloved hand no longer feels like a form of torture. Subtle signs of spring have started popping up around campus.
But as spring begins to make its leisurely arrival in Hamilton, Colgate seniors everywhere are realizing that the four greatest years of their life are coming to a close. Lost in a haze of daunting thesis proposals, last-minute job applications and endless grad school interviews, seniors might start to feel their last semester drifting away. However, there are far too many last-hurrahs to be had before move-out. So, to all the seniors who can’t get that Mac Miller song out of their heads — I just graduated high school! — it’s time to make the most out of your final semester in Hamilton.
The ingredients for an endlessly memorable senior spring couldn’t be more simple: you and your friends, a blank sheet of paper and something to write with. You guessed it — time to make a bucket list. The one I designed with my roommates proudly hangs on a wall in our apartment, so that anytime we’re feeling down, we can glance over and pick out a new activity. Filling your bucket list with a mix of all-out events and simple side quests is the way to go. If you’re searching for some inspiration for your very own bucket list, look no further.
When my roommates and I were drafting our bucket list, we started with the obvious senior-related events. In the fall, President Brian Casey invites all members of the senior class to an evening of wine tasting in the Hall of Presidents. Thanks to an impressive spread of charcuterie and beverages, a great turn-out of friends and familiar faces and a poorly-placed candle, the Senior Class Wine Tasting was an unforgettable event. Another no-brainer addition to your bucket list is the Senior Class Gift Cookie Pie Eating Contest. Held every spring at the Colgate Inn, this battle of the stomachs is an iconic event that brings the entire senior class together. With that being said, only the iron-willed should add “enter the cookie pie eating contest” to their bucket list.
A few other Colgate senior traditions also deserve a spot on your bucket list. As the spring semester winds down, an event known informally as the “Dorm Storm” and formally known as “Room Return” takes place up the hill. On this nostalgic night, seniors are invited to return to their old residence halls and meet the first-year and sophomore students who are currently living there. I can’t imagine a more full-circle experience. Then there is Senior Sunset, which takes place just a handful of days before graduation. As the sun dips majestically behind Burke and Pinchin Halls, seniors are invited to join President Casey at Raab House to celebrate the end of their Colgate careers. The opportunity to slow down and spend quality time with friends before the onslaught of Commencement weekend activities — and, of course, take plenty of pictures with President Casey — makes Senior Sunset an unmissable event.
And don’t forget to throw in some just-for-fun bucket list items that have absolutely nothing to do with being a senior. Our bucket list includes activities like visiting the windmills for pictures and a quick picnic, going for a swim in Lake Moraine, making our own charcuterie boards and going sledding. Thanks to the recent campus-wide snow day, my roommates and I were able to check sledding off our list. As for our trips to the windmills and Lake Moraine, those will have to wait until Hamilton officially thaws out.
Arguably the strangest item on our bucket list is visiting Chimichanga Firehouse. For those who haven’t heard of this infamous establishment, Chimichanga Firehouse is a very casual Mexican food place located about a 10-minute drive from campus. The drenched burritos are supposedly legendary, but we’ve been warned that the ambiance inside the Firehouse leaves much to be desired.
Before checking “graduate” off your bucket list, I hope you and your friends take the time to enjoy senior spring to the fullest. Don’t be afraid to say yes to an impromptu weekend trip to Canada, Tuesday trivia at the Good Nature Brewery, a Charred Goosebeak improv show or even a night spent whipping up the viral Trader Joe’s dumpling bake. Graduation is still months away — the time to romanticize life in rural New York is now. Seniors, this spring is for you.
