By: Renae Visico
On Oct. 27, the Brooklyn College (BC) yearbook club, Broeklundian, hosted its Senior Send-Off for the Fall semester at the Alumni Room in the Student Center.
As the organizers and curators of BC’s yearbooks, the Broeklundian committee dedicates themselves each year to preserving and creating fond memories for the graduating class. The Senior Send-Off is hosted each semester to celebrate current graduates and to remind them of tasks they must complete before commencement.
“The priority was just having a space for us to celebrate the seniors,” Broeklundian Yearbook President Ann Anonue told the Vanguard. “Student Affairs always has this presentation every semester, and it’s all important information about graduation and commencement. So the main goals were just getting these messages across.”
The Broeklundian committee took advantage of the fact that the Senior Send-Off was during the week of Halloween, setting the mood for attendees by adorning the Alumni Room with spooky-themed decor and setting each table with candy and temporary tattoos.
“Normally Senior Send-Off isn’t holiday-themed, so it was fun to order bat decorations, pumpkin stress balls, and some sweet treats to name a few,” Broeklundian Secretary Amy told the Vanguard. “Although Senior Send-Off is normally hosted in the spring, this year we decided to host one in the fall. This ensures both fall and spring graduates are included.”
BC students who weren’t Broeklundian members had the opportunity to volunteer for the Senior Send-Off by helping serve food, setting up the Alumni Room, and checking people in.
Seniors were the target audience for this event, drawing in many members from this year’s graduating class to strengthen and develop their connections with the BC community before it was time to leave.
“Even though I’m a senior, it’s nice to connect with other seniors who are graduating either this semester or the next semester,” said business management student Michael Morris.
The prospect of free food also drew in some hungry students who might not have known about the reminders they needed to hear without attending the Senior Send-Off.
“I’m a senior, and I just wanted to check [the Send-Off] out,” said sociology student Fia Sanchez. “It’s a good resource because not so many people can afford to buy lunch all the time. It’s nice to have free food on campus.”
Assistant Dean of Student Affairs Moraima Smith joined the Senior Send-Off to provide students with reminders about commencement. She started off the event with a presentation on the requirements needed to be eligible for commencement.
Smith emphasized the importance of looking through the commencement checklist available to BC students.
“We built a wonderful checklist to help you stay on track,” Smith told the audience. “We are encouraging you guys not to just check it once, not to check it twice, but check it as often as possible. That is where all of the confirmed dates are going to be posted.”
Many seniors found these reminders helpful, especially as the commencement requirements contained a lot of tasks that they tended to forget.
The Senior Send-Off allowed students to mingle with each other, mixing together both underclassmen and graduating seniors alike. It also gave students in their first semester at BC a chance to be introduced to the campus community.
“I’m new to campus, and I just wanted to see the environment and feel the vibes around the campus,” said junior Valentino Rios, who transferred to BC from Westchester Community College. “Community college is very different. This campus is pretty huge, and there’s a lot of facilities here that weren’t in the college I went to.”
For attendees who weren’t seniors, the Send-Off reminded them to start preparing for graduation, as it will come sooner than they anticipate.
“I wanted to check [the Senior Send-Off] out because I’m going to be a senior, so why not?” said junior Angela Zapata. “[Graduating] is scary, but it’s triumphant.”
For graduating seniors, the Send-Off gave them a space to reflect on the four years they’ve spent at BC. Many of them have had fond memories mixed with not-so-fond memories, but all of them expressed that they’ve learned invaluable lessons at BC that they will keep with them after they walk across the stage.
“I’ve been getting involved with club events and departments, and being a mentor towards other students,” said Morris. “Graduation doesn’t necessarily mean the end of an era. It’s like a step into a new chapter.”
For more information about the Broeklundian, visit @broeklundian.yb on Instagram.