200 Days

I take great pride in being the first Senior Fellow to write about our impending graduation.  Tomorrow night is the seniors’ 200 Days party.  It’s a senior-only event beginning the official countdown to graduation and sets the stage for our 100 and 30 Days parties, a prelude to the year’s culmination: Senior Week and Graduation in May.  With flowing food and drink (for the over 21 crowd, of course) and Ben Schiffer ’10.5 dj-ing for the shindig, McCullough Social Space won’t know what hit it.  This “2012 End of the World Theme” is just what we’ve been waiting for to release the stress of senior year.

For this one night, we can be sure no one will ask “So what are your plans for graduation?” “Have you found a job yet?” “Did you also get that 3rd round interview with JP Morgan?”  No, tonight is all about us and enjoying the company of our incredible classmates.  Gone are the days of wading through stacks of thesis books in our gorgeous mezzanine library carrels.  Senioritis has set in.

200 Days is giving me a lot of perspective as I head into the final haul.  Getting A’s on midterms and writing dissertations on Romania’s economy hardly seem important anymore in the grand scheme of things.  The focus is shifting away from school, but not, as you might expect to the job search.  All that seems to matter anymore is savoring the final 200 days we have with the incredible class of 2012 that we’ve lived and learned with for the past four years.  This message was reaffirmed at our Senior Class Dinner last week when an alum gave us parting words of wisdom: enjoy senior year.  No need to say that twice.  The other seniors and I heard that loud and clear.  This weekend welcomes a new total abandon.  The real world is fast approaching (and no, I’m not alluding to Frank Sweeny).  So here’s to finishing those first 15 pages of thesis, to the last football game of the season, to the dance parties waiting to happen, to 200 Days, and to the amazing experiences we’ll be having in the years to come.  To the Middlebury class of 2012!

2 thoughts on “200 Days

  1. Teresa Wolverton Post author

    Hey Alex,
    Thanks! I’m glad you enjoyed your visit. Great question, too… We have a variety of housing on campus. There are three (or maybe four?) “Social Houses” on campus, which do, as a fraternity would, have a formal rush process. However, they are not necessarily the center of social life on campus and all are open to any student, male or female. Rush and pledging take place beginning Sophomore year, and you can either live in the house or in the dorms.
    In addition, I think I talked about superblocks. Which are also large group houses with themes or shared interests, but do not have a name that remains with the group throughout the years and do not have rush. These houses are applied to as a part of the regular housing process.
    I hope that helped!

    Teresa

  2. Alex Saralegui

    Hi Theresa,

    We very much enjoyed your talk today. As promised, you provided all the info expected from the admissions office but added a student’s anecdotes to add color, interest and perspective. Thank you.

    One question: You mentioned co-ed clubs or houses that sounded like fraternities but were more like social clubs. Do these clubs have houses where they meet? Does one join them like one would a fraternity? Can one stay at these houses for an entire semester or does one sleep in dorms but meet socially at the houses?

    Thanks,

    Alex

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