The senior party is a much anticipated post-graduation event where the graduating class gathers at Park Tavern to celebrate their milestone. Since 2021, students have not had to pay to attend the party, which has proven to combat the previous attendance barrier for some students.
Park parent and co-chair of the Senior All Night Party planning committee Sally Berry said this has been an annual event for years. She said students were typically asked for a payment, but in 2021 the committee took a survey and a lot of the students could not pay or saw it as a “financial burden.”
“This party has been happening for over 50 years. Every year up until 2021 graduates were asked to pay to attend—usually $75. A survey was done in 2019 and the biggest takeaway was that graduates didn’t want to, and couldn’t, pay. It was a financial burden,” Berry said. “Several students had to apply for scholarships, etc. In 2021 during the height of COVID, we decided that we would start a campaign for a free party.”
Park Tavern representative Cheryl Gallagher Watson said the party being free to attend will bring in more students and allow them the opportunity to participate.
“With no barriers keeping from someone attending, I assume more will attend. I do not see any reason why someone would not attend a free party—especially one that is celebrating this milestone and all (of) the effort put into graduating,” Watson said.
Berry said there have been multiple different fundraisers that have helped fund the senior party.
“We have had multiple events to help with the funding, one of which being their kick-off party at Park Tavern where people had to buy tickets to attend. We also did a silent auction during the event to help with the funding,” Berry said.
Senior Zachary Feinberg said it is very beneficial that the senior party is free because it makes the party more accessible for students and allows everyone to go.
“(The party being free) makes it a lot easier for a lot of people to access (the party) and it would encourage more people to go and have fun with their fellow classmates and have a good night after completing a long 13 years together,” Feinberg said.
Watson said Park Tavern’s involvement was minimal, and it was the senior party committee that got the party set up and put together donations to make it free.
“We are just the hosts—(it’s) the senior all night committee that works closely with the SLP community to receive donations and grants in order to make this fun and successful,” Watson said.
Feinberg said he does not think it’s too important to attend the party but it would be better to have a big group there.
“I feel like it’s not something that is important to make it to, but it’d definitely be fun to have a whole community there and have a fun night with the people we have spent the last 13 years with,” Feinberg said.
