The Class of 2017 is rolling out plans for upcoming senior events to both raise money toward its senior class gift goal and to celebrate the seniors’ academic journeys’ coming to an end.
The Senior Class Gift Committee kicked off this year’s senior class gift campaign with the IC Donor Reception and Senior Celebration on Oct. 7. At the event, the committee announced the gift would be a pledge to raise $12,290 for the IC Annual Fund.
Andres Garcia, senior and co-chair of the Senior Class Gift Committee, said the committee plans to raise this money through fundraising events and by encouraging students to donate.
“Every student on this campus has in one way, shape or form been affected by the IC Annual Fund,” Garcia said. “Our hope is to have genuine conversations with our class and that it’ll inspire them to make a gift as well.”
Senior Griffin Schultz, vice president of the senior class cabinet, said many of the events the cabinet is hosting for seniors will be both social and professional development events.
“The senior class cabinet is really there so we can make senior year the best one yet at Ithaca College,” Schultz said.
Alyssa Cooper, Senior Class Gift Committee adviser and IC Annual Fund associate director, said approximately 100 seniors and alumni attended the donor reception.
“The event gives our alumni the opportunity to really see how they are impacting this community and making students’ dreams come true,” Cooper said.
Senior Brandon Schneider, co-chair of the Senior Class Gift Committee, said the Alumni Association Board of Directors matched each gift at the donor reception with a $100 donation to the IC Annual Fund. Since the event, the alumni board has been matching each gift with $50, Schneider said.
The gift campaign will end shortly after the Toast to 2017 event April 7. The senior toast usually hosts approximately 300 seniors, Garcia said. Cooper said this event brings the senior class together to spend about an hour and a half celebrating and toasting to the year and to its futures.
“It’s all about memories and how each of the persons’ lives have been impacted by the time they’ve spent here at IC and on this campus,” Cooper said.
Schultz said the cabinet also hosts bigger events on campus, such as the annual senior pageant, where seniors compete to be crowned Ithaca’s Finest. This year, the event will be held in Emerson Suites on Nov. 10. There is also a resume building event Nov. 9, and the Senior Semi-Formal on Dec. 9, both of which will also be held in Emerson Suites.
The purpose of these events is to help seniors foster relationships with their peers before they graduate, Schultz said.
“I think they are really looking to hold onto the memories and relationships they’ve created and be able to carry those on past commencement,” he said.
