Decked in black and white, Emerson Dining Hall hosted the Class of 2020 dinner. On Feb. 26, the roaring twenties themed dinner served a wide-ranging menu, from thick cheese pastas, assorted vegetables, steaming garlic bread, buffalo chicken wings, to the dessert menu of chocolate and vanilla cupcakes and a bejeweled black and white sheet cake.
As students dressed to the nines and bundled in sweats filtered through the lines for food to sit in the dining hall, jazz and contemporary music played. However, this class dinner was not just for cake and fancy dresses. It provided the opportunity to connect with members of their class who they otherwise might not talk to on a daily basis. Every class year at Wheaton has class dinners set up by their respective student council to provide opportunities for every class to voice their concerns directly to the board.
Maia Hay ’20, a member of class council, is excited for Spring Weekend and an event in the works that will have a carnival theme. She believes these events are important and the low attendance during the spring semester’s events has only inspired her and the council to create more engaging events. From a bounce house and cotton candy to henna tattoos, Hay hopes that these events will encourage more interest from the class of 2020 as a whole.
The Class of 2020 President Shamar Mahon said, “I think the events we have on campus allow us to build community for the Wheaton students. The class dinner had a great turn out,” he continued, “I think the class dinners specifically are important as they give freshmen a chance to escape from Chase as well as the ability to talk to members of the class. They haven’t gotten a chance to talk and break down cliques people have formed, getting people out of their comfort zones and talking to each other.”