Over the past few weeks, it has been hard to avoid the buzz surrounding the TCU Judiciary Board’s February 1st ruling that found the Senior Class Council not guilty of discrimination in deciding to hold Senior Nights at 21+ venues. Most students were pleased with this decision, but let’s back up and discuss the events that lead up to this ruling. The controversy started when a member of the senior class, who will not turn 21 before Senior Week in May, filed a discrimination complaint against the Senior Class Council that put the issue under the microscope. Because of her age, she explained, she will not be able to attend many of the class-wide celebrations during Senior Week.
I would be disappointed if this were my situation, too, but there are some major factors to this decision that must be considered. As the Tufts Daily reported, “Moving Senior Night to a more age-inclusive venue would have hiked the price and limited the number of tickets available to students.” No one likes to feel left out, so it’s understandable that tension may arise when someone feels unable to join in the fun. In the end, however, the Judiciary Board’s decision to reject claims of discrimination saved Senior Nights. Their decision essentially stated that while Tufts students have the ability to pursue their rights and liberties as students, discrimination is not a label to be taken lightly, and its core meaning will not be downgraded or over-generalized.
In the years following graduation, taking a trip down memory lane will not lead straight to Senior Night. It will lead to the classes that transformed our ways of thinking, the experiences that set our stories apart, and the friends who laughed with us along the way. Tufts is so much more than the week leading up to graduation, and senior year has so much more to offer than just one night.
Photo source: bosguy.com