At Hopkins, there’s about a week between the last day of classes and graduation. That time period is known as Senior Week. This is when the university hosts a series of events for students to celebrate their remaining time as undergraduates. I made it my mission to attend as many events as I could and report back here.
So now that my “boots-on-the-ground journalism” has ended (as my friend Jaydan liked to call it), keep reading to find out what Senior Week has in store!
class of 2026 celebration
Although this wasn’t an official Senior Week event, I still felt it deserved a spot on the list. This was hosted by the Hopkins Alumni Association, and it was just a chance to mingle, eat good food, and celebrate. It absolutely delivered and made for a great Friday night.
Re-orientation
This was a nod to our first week on campus four years ago. Everyone formed groups and went on a scavenger hunt around campus, collecting free stuff along the way. I was so tired by the end of it, but it was worth it!
senior sunrise
As the name suggests, the purpose of this was simply to relax, watch the sunrise, and of course, eat food. Since it was so cloudy, we didn’t get much of a sunrise, but it was still fun to chat with my friends.
A food truck from Sistahs’ Sweets was giving away drinks, plus our choice of a breakfast sandwich or scone. Since it was around six in the morning and I’m a clown, I accidentally dropped my sandwich on the ground. Honestly, I was too tired to care and thought it was funny more than anything else.
bsc ya later party
This was easily my favorite event of the week. The entire Bloomberg Student Center (BSC) was booked out just for seniors. There was food, karaoke, stuffed animal bears, and casino games. The makeshift “casino” took up an entire room. We were given fake money to bet with and could win raffle tickets as prizes. My friend Jaydan and I had no idea what we were doing, so we found ourselves panic-Googling and texting people for the best strategies to win. I’d say we did well for a couple of first-timers, but my family in Vegas would not be impressed.
There was also an entire room dedicated to choosing a bear, picking its outfit, and stuffing it yourself. I had been wanting a graduation bear and this was the perfect way to get one. Now, I just need to come up with a good name for him.
one last rodeo
Power Plant Live! is an entertainment venue in Inner Harbor that hosts restaurants, bars, comedy clubs, and nightclubs. One of the bars, PBR Baltimore: A Coors Banquet Bar, was rented out for us. There was food, drinks, dancing, and even mechanical bull riding. Nearly all of the Senior Week events were free, but this one cost $10 per person (with the first 400 students to arrive getting a free drink). I’d never ridden a bull before, but since I’m from Texas, I felt obliged to participate. I had a lot of fun (despite the huge crowd of people watching me fall) and like to think I lasted a respectable amount of time.
senior beach day
Prior to this, I’d only been to the beach twice in my life, and I was too young to really remember either trip. So, as soon as I saw this on the list, I knew I had to go. This was the only other activity that we had to pay for; tickets were $5 per person and included transportation, lunch (a sandwich, chips, and a cookie), and as many bottled waters as we wanted. The buses picked us up on campus and made the quick 45-minute trip to Gunpowder Falls State Park, where the beach was located.
Every time I’m out in the sun, I burn in an unexpected place I didn’t even think to apply sunscreen. After I sunburned my eyelids in high school, I was confident I’d discovered the only remaining spot I was forgetting to shield. That is, until I sunburned my feet on this trip. One day I’ll learn.
senior bbq
This was the last official Senior Week event. It gave us the chance to relax with friends and family a couple days before graduation. There was even a celebrity sighting: Hopkins’ president, Ron Daniels, was manning the grill!
senior toast
The night before graduation, we had our senior toast in the Bloomberg Student Center. There were tons of pastries, drinks, and music. Our mascot, Jay, even made an appearance.
I almost didn’t go because I was super tired from packing my stuff, and my parents were exhausted from driving. I’m really glad we went, though, because this might be tied with the BSC Ya Later Party as my favorite event. The Hopkins News-Letter published a commencement magazine and we all received copies of it. They also gave out hats, shirts, and buttons for students, parents, and family members who were unable to attend the event. 10/10 experience!
At the end of the night, President Ron Daniels gave the toast everyone was waiting for. I was too lazy to bring my ID, so I got a 21-and-under wristband, but I’ll take cake over alcohol any day.
graduation!
Finally, the day we’ve all been waiting for! Since this was the 150th year of Hopkins, we got to participate in a time capsule. On our name cards, we could write something to future students. After our name was called, our card was put into the capsule.
All the speakers were great and it was fun to take pictures with friends before Commencement started.
I’m so addicted to my phone, that I unintentionally walked the stage with it in my hand, but oh well!
After graduation, most people go out to eat. The first thing I did was buy an alumni sweatshirt at the bookstore. I’ve loved my time at Hopkins and enjoyed getting to share it with all of you! Now, onto the next chapter!
