Traditions are the building blocks of my college. Outrageous shenanigans for convocation, Mountain Day, Midnight Madness, Thursday candle lit dinner, and Friday afternoon tea to name a few. Friday night passed on of my favorite traditions: Senior Banquet!
Senior Banquet is a celebration for those that are about to embrace the light at the end of this four year tunnel of academia, drama, stress, and tradition. Each house on campus holds a senior banquet, varying the night so the campus doesn’t erupt in one mass of crazy. Senior banquet is the place for Seniors to get belligerently drunk and prove just how much they rule the house.
Every person in the house is involved, from picking themes, to dipping strawberries in chocolate. Tyler House tradition follows that First Years make hats for the senior that picks them to wear at banquet. They can be silly, ornate, or resemble a 4 tier cake. They just must represent the personality of the senior. A senior, who like me, was from Seattle, picked me for my first year and I created her a tissue paper Mt. Rainier, complete with Seattle skyline and ferries on the water. First Years also do I skit impersonating the seniors for entertainment during the banquet, it usually plays off of stereotypes and teases them.
Sophmores are wenches; they serve the seniors that select them and do whatever they want you to – all while wearing practically nothing. I was at wench last night, and I did a damn good job serving two of my favorite, fabulous seniors while wearing the Scottish flag as a dress and frilly ruffle lace undies and black heels ( I was a hot commodity). Juniors write up prophecies for the seniors that select them, which are supposed to tell of what will come of the seniors after they pass through the gates of our college. Some are pretty accurate and hopeful, others are just plain ridiculous (you will be abducted by aliens- and then make you their queen) but are the highlight of the evening. Willing follows prophecies, in which seniors pass down funky objects (a brass squirrel sculpture, anyone?) and other house traditions. This year I was willed a green vintage dress, the Ghost Tour and the Pirate Party- complete the pirate accessories. I’m wicked excited for next year.
Scary thought: I sit through one more of these, and then I will be up there being the belligerent senior! Eek!
Cheers!
<3 CrownRoyal
