Juwan Wilson, Staff Writer & Nicholas Souza, News/Online Editor

Senior week has been a long standing tradition at Utica College and many other higher education institutions across the country for many years. This week allows seniors to have one last look at their time at UC and interact with those who shaped their experience at the college. Nearly 32 percent of people in the United States over the age of 25 have achieved their bachelor’s degree. This final week before graduation allows for the fact that they will join an increasing number of people in the country completing a four-year program to sink in. While this in a tradition at most schools, UC will no longer have a senior week.

UC recently went through a transition in their calendar. This readjustment to the academic calendar aligns ground and online courses so that they follow a similar schedule. The plus side to this is that the semester ends earlier but the negative side it that there simply is not time for a senior week anymore.

Jaime Evanoff, coordinator of advancement services, stated that the college understands how important senior week is to their students. It means as much to the student as it means to the administration, faculty and staff. In many ways it’s their last chance to be around some of their favorite people and students.

Evanoff also mentioned that the term “Senior Week” isn’t necessarily accurate.  In previous years, the events that have happened during this time were always Pub Night and Senior Ball. Evanoff understands that things might be a little rushed this year but like she said before, UC understands what this week means to the students. That is why the college is trying to make provisions to allow for seniors to have a proper celebration before they depart the college.

“Senior week is about having those last couple of days to be with the people you trust, love and will miss,” senior Nikiya Harris said. “I for one don’t truly care if we don’t have that extra week, I just want to be able to have those final lasting moments with my friends.”

So many seniors have had so many different things to say on both side of the discussion about senior week like Amie Pinckney who felt that it was unfair for their senior class not to have a senior week.

Pinckney expressed that she has been waiting for senior week from the first time she heard of its existences. Her friends who graduated told her that it would be one of or the best moments, if not the best part, of senior year.

Many students across campus have come to associate senior week with the feeling of being with your UC family is more important than the actual week of celebration. These final weeks of memories with the ones students have spent four or more years with are just another moment to spend with friends before leaving college. Senior week in the past has allowed students to spend one final week with friends and enjoy each other’s company without academic responsibilities over their heads.

It is comforting, however, to many students that UC does care that senior week will not be happening this year and that they will be working in the future to carve out some sort of celebratory time for their graduating seniors.