Senior Week: Class of 2007 Bids Good-bye to Boston

For four years, BU undergraduates are encouraged to study hard, balance work and play, and pursue academic success. But for one week, each year’s graduating class is asked — even pushed — to cut loose and have fun.

Senior Week begins on Saturday, May 12, giving the Class of 2007 a chance to explore Boston and New England in ways that they may not have had time for when school was in session. Events include trips to Martha’s Vineyard and Mohegan Sun, a clambake on a Boston Harbor island, and a semiformal night on the town at the Senior Ball. There’s also an opportunity to say good-bye to favorite faculty and administrators at a champagne reception and to get a new view of Boston aboard a Duck Tour.

“We have a Senior Week committee that is selected in the fall, and they help plan the programs — some last Boston experiences and some shared group experiences,” says Mindy Stroh, director of the Student Activities Office (SAO). “The Duck Tours are always something that people say they’ll go on for four years and never do, so many people are excited that we have them. Martha’s Vineyard is a really popular one, too.”

Senior Week isn’t a total free-for-all — all events are for BU seniors 18 years of age and older and their guests age 21 and up. Anyone coming to events under the influence of alcohol will not be permitted to participate. The events are chaperoned by SAO and student affairs staffers, but Stroh says that most students follow the statement of expectations that’s handed out with tickets. “Everybody represents the University well,” she says. “When we did the clambake at the Commonwealth Museum last year, we received a very nice letter crediting our students’ behavior at an event with alcohol.”

Tickets are still available for a number of events, including Saturday’s trip to New York, Tuesday’s Harbor Cruise, and Wednesday’s Senior Ball. For more information, visit the Senior Week Web site or the Student Activities Office, One University Rd., between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Tickets are still available for the following Senior Week events:

New York City, Saturday, May 12
Get a taste of the Big Apple: spend the day shopping, attending a Broadway show, eating out, or enjoying the sights of New York City. Buses depart the GSU at 8 a.m. and return at 2 a.m. Ticket includes round-trip bus fare. $30, limit two tickets per person.

Jake Ivory’s, Monday, May 14
End the year on a high note at Jake Ivory’s dueling piano bar. Yell out song requests to the boisterous piano players, who claim they can’t be stumped. Doors open at 9 p.m. For BU seniors 19 or older; all guests must be at least 21. Bring passport or valid state ID for cash bar. $10, limit two tickets per person.

Harbor Cruise, Tuesday, May 15
Celebrate Mardi Gras in May with a three-hour tour of Boston Harbor. The cruise will have plenty of music, dancing, and excitement. For BU seniors 18 or older; all guests must be at least 21. Bring passport or valid state ID for cash bar. Dress is casual. Shuttle buses will bring students back to BU after the cruise. $35, limit two tickets per person.

Duck Tour, Wednesday, May 16
You haven’t really seen Boston if you haven’t seen it from a DUKW, or Duck, an authentic, renovated World War II amphibious landing vehicle. Tours leave from the Huntington Avenue side of the Prudential Center, near Shaw’s, at 1 p.m. $26, limit two tickets per person.

Senior Ball, Wednesday, May 16
Dress to impress and dance the night away with your senior class. Join the semiformal fun at the Westin Copley Place, 10 Huntington Ave., Boston. Non-BU guests are welcome. There is a cash bar for those 21 and older. The event runs from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. $30, limit two tickets per person.

Champagne Reception, Friday, May 18
Join deans, administrators, and fellow students in honor of the Class of 2007 in the GSU’s Metcalf Hall. This is the perfect opportunity for you and your family to say farewell to your favorite people at BU. Doors open at 4 p.m., and the event ends at 6 p.m. $12, no ticket limit.

Jessica Ullian can be reached at jullian@bu.edu.