Draft Burning Marks Major Milestone for Class of 2025
On the evening of Saturday, December 7th, the fifty-three members of the Class of 2025 passed a memorable milestone along their path to Graduation: the submission of their final thesis drafts.
When describing the Senior Thesis project that is the culmination of Trivium 402, the College’s catalog says that “each student researches and writes a senior thesis on a significant topic of his or her own choice. The thesis and the oration are expected to show the characteristic signs of leisurely study: depth and breadth of relevant knowledge, careful and nuanced consideration of ideas, argumentative rigor, confident organization, and a rhetorically effective style.”
While there is certainly much hard work yet to be done–the orations themselves will not take place until the first few weeks of the upcoming Spring semester–the completion of the thesis itself is a dramatic moment for these students, and one that is justly celebrated.
Arriving at the Pequod (the student lounge) just after 5pm, each senior solemnly passed a flash drive bearing an electronic version of their completed thesis over to Jennifer Westman, the College’s registrar. But the pages and pages of drafts that have been produced and printed out throughout the creative process? They were quickly put to good use, creating a bonfire that served as a cozy backdrop for an evening of festivities.
This year’s event was as celebratory and boisterous as ever–lots of happy (if tired) faces around the bonfire–and the evening’s celebration was punctuated by the annual Light Up Lander Parade.
Next up, Finals Week. And then, home for Christmas!
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