Senior Activities

#campuslife

As early May rolls around, the existential fear of graduation is slowly sinking in for seniors across campus. Office of Admission interns Naman and Devika matriculated into Rice in 2020, a year that many of us remember all too well. Unfortunately, at the time, all of Rice’s traditional matriculation festivities had come to a halt. As campus has returned to normalcy, the senior class has been fortunate enough to experience a wealth of festivities this year. Read below for some of our interns’ experiences as McMurtry and Martel College seniors!
 

Students at a Rice event.
A picture of the invitation to McMurtry Senior Roast.

Naman, McMurtry '24

After spending my first semester taking classes remotely and then arriving at Rice amidst COVID in the spring, I was excited to socialize and fortify new friendships within my residential college community. Luckily, the McMurtry College Senior Committee organized a wide variety of events for the senior class to participate in. Whether it was playing frisbee in Founder’s Court or cooking meals for our Thanksgiving potluck, there was plenty of fun to choose from. 

Invite to McMurtry Freshman Senior Soiree.
A group of Rice students soaking in the sunrise at the Skyspace!

We kickstarted our year with Senior Sunrise. Rallying to get 30+ seniors to wake up at 5AM on a Saturday was a tall task, but it was all worth it. Filled with peaceful music and enough bagels to feed a small town, the morning was relaxing and eventful. We laid in the grass, played games, and even did a full photoshoot at Skyspace!

 

A group of Rice students at an event.
A group of Rice students by the Skyspace.

Another highlight of the year was attending the Freshmen-Senior Soiree. An annual event at McMurtry, the soiree gives a chance for the senior class to welcome in the freshmen and get them accustomed to our college’s culture and festivities. Deemed formal, the event strictly requires freshmen to wear white and seniors to wear black. Of course, there’s plenty of food and drinks to go around!

Rice students at an event.
Rice students at Six Flags San Antonio.

Devika, Martel '24

As one of Martel College’s senior committee heads, I’ve had a hand in planning events for senior Martelians! Given the less than normal start to our college careers, our committee was so excited to create opportunities for new memories for our seniors. From senior barbecues to turtle racing, we’ve had a blast organizing events to bring together our class. 
 

Seniors at a Rice event.
Seniors celebrating their upcoming graduation from Rice.

One of our most memorable events was a class trip to the Six Flags in San Antonio: Fiesta Texas! This idea came from another member of the senior class, and we were so thrilled to make it come to life. Our committee paid for everyone’s park tickets, and we enjoyed a very fun, albeit windy, day in San Antonio. 

Another one of our most popular Martel senior traditions is a Wine & Cheese night! Our 21 year-old attendees enjoyed a delicious charcuterie spread and wine tasting under the twinkling lights of Keck Hall Lawn. Total Wine was kind enough to sponsor us for this event and provided us with alcoholic and non-alcoholic options for the night. At Martel, we never miss an opportunity to dress up and invited our seniors to don their finest semi-formal apparel for the night. 

A group of Rice students in front of the sallyport at Lovett Hall.
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