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Saying “Sayonara Seniors”

Aidan talks about his experiences meeting upperclassmen and saying goodbye!

Aidan talks about his experiences meeting upperclassmen and saying goodbye!


Although our seniors have been gone for about two months now, I feel as though now is the best time to talk about them leaving. I had so many great experiences with my senior friends. Whether I met them in my courses or in a student organization, I really appreciated our bonds. It is pretty hard to say goodbye to our seniors, but I am excited to reminisce here. 

Developing Relationships

During my time here at Carleton, I have had many opportunities to develop relationships with upperclassmen, particularly seniors. I have written blog posts about a couple of these opportunities. Whether it be student activities, residential life, or student employment, I have forged friendships with so many people. I feel so blessed to have had these opportunities to meet so many wonderful upperclassmen this year.

charlie in sayles
My friend Charlie (’21) sitting in Sayles. I miss her!

The great thing about meeting new people through these avenues is that you don’t feel an age divide. Sure, they’ve been around the block here at Carleton a few more times than me, but we’re all here learning and growing together. Even though my roommate this year was three years older than me, the age difference was never felt. If you ever share an interest with someone, you’ll become friends regardless of your class years!

pic of me and my roomie
Me and my roomie before my surprise birthday celebration.

The Hard Part

Although these relationships are super fun while they last, there does come a point in time where the seniors must depart. These friendships will often continue post-graduation, but they will look very different. One of my senior friends who graduated last year moved to the Twin Cities; I have visited her many times! I also plan on visiting San Francisco and Japan next year to see some of my housemates from this year. It is super exciting to see where all your friends end up post-grad. A lot of recent grads will also come back to visit the campus, so don’t fret! You will have plenty of opportunities to see your friends.

me and my roommates
Me and my senior roommates, Ty and Hana!

Graduation

I won’t lie, I shed more than a couple of tears when I watched my favorite seniors walk the stage and become alumni this year. These emotions were definitely a mixture of sadness and pride. My roommate graduated Summa Cum Laude, which is incredibly difficult here at Carleton, and honestly, I thought she had been failing her classes. I wish I had taken more pictures with the graduating seniors, but my tear-stained face didn’t seem like the right emotion for such a joyous event. Even with all these tears, I am so thankful I was able to cultivate these relationships this year. I look forward to meeting more seniors to cry about next year too!


Aidan (he/him) is a rising Junior from Batavia, IL. He is a Religion and French and Francophone Studies double major with a Cross-Cultural Studies minor. You can often find him at the campus’s two dining halls chatting with other students while working as a student dining hall manager. He enjoys spending his time outside of class cooking and hanging out with his housemates in the Culinary Interest House and performing in Carleton’s sketch comedy group. Aidan also loves to broadcast music to the greater Northfield community on the college radio station, KRLX 88.1 FM. Meet the other bloggers!