The Senior Class Council’s plans for its new Senior Week are underway.

Senior Class President Jazz Hampton and the Senior Class Council announced its Senior Week plans in an email to the graduating class Monday, March 12. Hampton said the week will include “fun activities for any and all senior students to attend.”

Hampton laid out a sample of the week’s events in the email. The activities that were announced include a Senior Day in the quad complete with food, games, photo opportunities with Tommie the mascot and more.

Other events listed were a section reserved for the senior class at the Minnesota Twins vs. the Los Angeles Angels baseball game and an All Senior Night in the Anderson Student Center featuring laser tag in the parking garage. There will also be a dance floor, a photo booth, and food at the All Senior Night, and a musical guest is to be announced.

The class council planned the week in place of the senior riverboat party, something that some seniors were disappointed about upon reading the Undergraduate Student Government’s statement releasing the information on Feb. 16.

However, after getting wind of the council’s new plans, seniors like Aaron Rodriguez and Maria Fischer are excited for what Senior Week has in store.

“I think it’s a great idea to have something on campus,” Rodriguez said. “They sound like really fun events to me. It seems that more people will be able to afford this a little bit more than something like (the riverboat).”

Fischer said the number of options during the week shows good planning on the council’s part.

“I do like that it’s a few different events because it’s spread out over the week, and you don’t necessarily have to be able to attend that one thing because… people have lives and you need to be able to set your priorities.”

Senior Ge Vang said he is especially looking forward to the laser-tag event.

“I saw the one about the laser tag where they are going to play in the garage parking lot. I’m excited for that one,” Vang said.

Although senior Ashley Nelsen said she is looking forward to the Twins game event, she also said she wishes the Senior Class Council would reconsider the riverboat decision.

“I would just like them to book the riverboat, but I know that’s probably not a possibility. But I appreciate what they’re doing to kind of fix this issue.”

Senior Madisyn Aultman said all of the new events sound like fun but argued that they don’t compare with the riverboat’s unique characteristics.

“They’re not equivalent,” Aultman said. “We had a riverboat dance when I was a senior in high school, and that event is so significant. It’s so different and so special.”

Matt Sullivan, senior class senator, has helped plan Senior Week. He understands students concerns about not having the riverboat this year but believes the week of events is the best option.

“Whenever you change things up, people will get upset. But we have a large class of 1,300 and those riverboat tickets go fast,” Sullivan said. “This year, seniors are able to go to these events without having to worry about not being able to attend or getting tickets.”

Seniors are invited to share their photos from their time at St. Thomas on the University of St. Thomas Senior Banquet Facebook page by Friday, March 23. The photos will be used for the video at the banquet. Hampton said he would appreciate it if no pictures with alcohol in them be posted.

Briggs LeSavage can be reached at lesa4364@stthomas.edu.