The final countdown until commencement began for seniors last Thursday, Jan. 26 at Waxy O’Connors in Keene. From that date, there were only 100 more nights the seniors would be spending here at Keene State.
Senior class president Noah Macri said he can’t believe how close graduation truly is for him and his class. Macri said he is, “scared to death of graduation, but very ready to get out into the real world.”
He said the night consisted of several bittersweet moments for the class of 2017. “We watched the slideshow and reminisced about the great memories we’ve had here. Even though we are graduating in less than 100 nights, it just means we need to take full advantage of the days we still all have together,” Macri said.
Colton McCracken / Equinox Staff
The 100 nights celebration takes place because of an event during first-year orientation that correlates with it, according to Macri. “During orientation in 2013, we had an event called something along the lines of ‘1300-Something Nights,’ I don’t remember the exact number,” Macri said.
He continued, “The event was commemorating our first night that we would be staying on campus and thus starting the countdown of the nights until graduation. I remember them talking about 100 Nights and I remember thinking that was so far away, and I felt like that day would never come for us, but here we are.”
Macri said he thought that the celebration went surprisingly well since it was planned a little last minute by the class executive board.
“We were very nervous that nobody would show up. This event had never been held at Waxy’s before and we knew this was not people’s first choice of location. In the end though, a lot more people came than we had expected and I really think it was a great night of celebration,” Macri said.
The celebration was an enjoyable time for the class of 2017 to socialize with one another and reminisce about their time at KSC according to Macri. He said the feedback the e-board received was positive and made them feel like it was a success.
Macri said he is in disbelief that his time has almost come to walk across the stage on the Fiske Quad. “These past four years were the best of my life and have truly changed who I am as an individual. I have learned so much here not only thorough my classes, but also through extracurricular activities like Student Government and Orientation. The people I have met here have been some of the most amazing people I have ever known,” Macri said.
He continued, “I truly would not trade my time spent here for anything. The four years flew by so fast and I can’t believe that they are almost over. I wish I knew during my first year or sophomore year how much I would miss those days and how I should have savored every day and every experience I had. Now I get to watch the countdown on the banner in the student center and I get to stress out a little more every day that number gets smaller.”
Senior class Vice President Dominique Vaillancourt said she feels like the celebration brought the class closer. “Whether you were at the celebration we put on or not, people were celebrating wherever they were,” Vaillancourt said.
Colton McCracken / Equinox Staff
Vaillancourt said she enjoyed the senior slideshow that was put together. She said, “My favorite part was watching the slideshow of pictures and having people walk in and be like, ‘Oh wow, look how old that picture is.’”
Vaillancourt said she can’t believe her time at KSC is coming to a close shortly. She said she wishes she could start all over, but is thankful for the opportunities Keene State has provided for her.
Senior class secretary Marissa DePolo was impressed with the large turnout of her fellow classmates. She said, “During the end of the night, a lot of people were singing along and dancing together to the music we had on and that was really nice to see.”
DePolo believes she got the most out of her Keene State experience.
“I have learned a lot about leadership, friendship, and most importantly, balance. I have grown so much and I owe it all to the experiences that Keene State has given me,” DePolo said.
Emma can be contacted at ehamilton@kscequinox.com