The spring semester is now well underway as we get through the official fourth week of classes. As the class of 2018 stays busy trying to finish out strong at Loyola and look to the future, they’re also getting ready to go out with a bang and celebrate Senior Year.

With a little bit over 100 days left in senior year, Senior Class President Nick Palazzolo announced the theme of the next senior countdown celebration to be Decades, where seniors will be able to party like its 1999.

On Feb. 23, seniors are invited to dress up and represent their favorite decade in history for the next countdown event. From cavemen to astronauts, neon to flannel, and from disco to rock ’n’ roll, Decades is sure to see all eras represented by costumed seniors looking to make some fun memories of senior year.

“I’m looking forward to seeing people dressed up as anything from the ’80s and ’90s, or even 10,000 B.C.” Palazzolo said.

The event will see the return of the nacho bar, which was huge hit at the last event, and of course soda, beer, and cider, which Palazzolo assured will not run out. Seniors are allowed to bring non-student guests over the age of 21 to the event as well. They also plan on having more giveaways and continue the costume contest from the last event.

Palazzolo also mentioned the upcoming Senior Gala, which he described as a “senior countdown event kicked up to 11.” Planning for senior week events are already underway, with details to come in the weeks and months leading up to graduation.

For some seniors, these events are ways to commemorate the past four years.

“I love the countdown events because it’s very unifying to celebrate as a class together. Being that we’ve been through four years of college together and grown up to now celebrating our final countdown is amazing,” Bailey Myers ’18 said.

Senior 200s: America, the most recent countdown event, had 577 seniors, about half the class, attending to display their American spirit in all sorts of creative ways.

“The America theme inspired some interesting costumes and seemed to resonate well with the Class of 2018” Nick Poe ’18 said.

And interesting costumes there were, as all things “America” were represented, from founding fathers to sports legends, and even a few professional wrestlers here and there.

The senior countdown events are one of the most beloved and anticipated traditions of senior year, along with other popular events such as last month’s Alumni Bull & Oyster Roast.
The Bull and Oyster Roast, a tradition for over 60 years, saw alumni from all years return back to the Student Center for good food, good drinks, and good reunions with college friends and former classmates all through Reitz Arena and McGuire Hall.

Current seniors are always invited to attend as their first introduction to the alumni community, and the event is always quite popular among the graduating class.

Ray McEvoy ’18 said that it was great being able to “catch up with friends and alumni as well as celebrating being part of such a strong community.”                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             Myers also attended and enjoyed the Bull and Oyster event.

“I loved being able to go to different areas with music and people,” he said. “Running into alumni from when I was a First Year and sophomore gave me déjà vu, and it was exciting.”

Tickets for Senior 100s: Decades are $10 and will go on sale at the box office immediately before the celebration, taking place from 8-11 p.m. on Feb. 23 in McGuire Hall. Drink tickets for beer and cider will also be available to purchase at Decades.