Salute celebrates graduates

On Thursday, students will have the opportunity to attend what organizers are calling “the largest graduation party on campus” at the DeVault Alumni Center on 17th Street.

The event, called Senior Salute, will take place from 4 to 6 p.m. It will include a number of activities for attendees, including booths with representatives from each of the IU schools, as well as individual alumni chapters from throughout Indiana.

The event is advertised in a press release as an opportunity for graduating students to connect with academic departments and IU schools to establish ways of staying in contact after graduation.

“Staying in contact with IU after graduating is a great way to be a part of the tradition once you leave campus,” said Heather Bafia, director of Senior Salute for the Student Alumni Association.

The event will feature music by DJ Unique and free food from local restaurants, including BuffaLouie’s, Bloomington Bagel Company, Chocolate Moose and KRC Catering. Additionally, prizes will be offered at the door, and the first 1,000 people to preregister for the event will receive a free IU pint glass.

Students can register for the event on the IU Alumni Association’s website, alumni.indiana.edu. The brief form asks for contact information for permanent email and mailing addresses after graduation.

However, Brianna Behlman, vice president of senior experience for the Student Alumni Association, said that students do not have to register in advance to attend the event. All graduating seniors are welcome.

“Everyone who attends the event will need to fill out the information that is on the preregistration form,” Behlman said. “The advantage of preregistering is that you don’t have to fill out the form there, and it helps us in the sense that the information is already in the system. We don’t have to key it in later. And there’s the pint glass.”

This form also allows students to opt-in for one free year of membership in the IUAA, a $25 value. This has been offered to graduates each spring as a way to get them connected with the IUAA before leaving campus.

When asked to describe the main draw of the event, Bafia said, “It’s really one last chance for seniors to get together on campus and celebrate all of the hard work they’ve put in over the past four years.”