This past week, seniors at Keene State crossed a significant milestone in their final year at the college, as there are now fewer than 100 days until their Commencement ceremony.
On Friday, Jan. 30, the KSC Class of 2026 hosted a celebratory “100 Nights” event in honor of the milestone, as is the annual tradition for the senior class. This year, the event was hosted at Bender’s Bar and Grill in Keene and featured ten rounds of bingo to keep seniors entertained while they socialized with their classmates.
Class of 2026 President Charlie Baxter explained that the 100 Nights event serves as a chance for the senior class to get together and make memories before they go their separate ways after commencement.
“It’s a good opportunity for seniors to get together and make some fun memories during the spring of their senior year, and to look back and reflect on the positive experience that they’ve had here over their time at Keene State,” Baxter said.
Class of 2026 Vice President Lexi Barrett said the 100 Nights event is a unique opportunity because it is only attended by senior class members, whereas the Red and White Night event that took place in the fall had attendees who were plus-ones and not necessarily seniors.
“It’s just the senior class, so to get to come together with all the people that you’ve gone through all four years with is a really cool, fun moment to celebrate how far we’ve all come,” said Barrett.
Leading up to the 100 Nights event, Baxter said he was excited to be involved with hosting the celebration as the president of his class and to be able to provide an opportunity for his classmates to reconnect and share memories.
“When I was campaigning for president, one of my big promises was that we’d do a knockout job at 100 Nights, so being able to deliver on that is very fulfilling for me,” said Baxter.
As for what Barrett was looking forward to at the event, she said she was excited for the rounds of bingo that she organized with Class of 2026 Representatives Kaylyn John-Zensky and Hope Lownds.
“We’re giving away hundreds of dollars in prizes for bingo, which I think is going to be really fun. People are going to really enjoy it and it’s something to look forward to,” Barrett said.
Looking ahead to their commencement date that comes closer every day, Baxter and Barrett detailed the complicated and bittersweet feelings they have experienced so far in their last semester at KSC.
“There’s the nostalgic side of things, where you look back on the past four years and all the experiences you’ve had that have formed you into the person you’ve become, and all the amazing people you’ve met along the way, the memories that you’ve been able to make. It’s really great to be able to look back and appreciate that experience in hindsight,” said Baxter.
“On the other side of things,” he continued, “you’re looking forward to having a job and moving out and starting your adult life. It can be a little bit daunting at times, but it’s also exciting. It’s a new horizon. It’s a new chapter in all of our lives and we’ll be starting that together.”
Barrett agreed with the idea of having conflicting feelings toward graduation and explained her personal push and pull between excitement and fear at the thought of it.
“There’s a sense of pride, especially when you’re graduating and you’re going to have a degree, and being able to go into a job field that you’re passionate about feels very empowering,” Barrett said. “But it’s also just incredibly scary. In six months from now, where am I going to be? What am I going to be doing?”
When thinking about their Commencement ceremony, both seniors said the first feeling that comes to their mind is stress, as there is still a lot to figure out in terms of planning for the event.
Baxter said there is an additional layer of uncertainty for this year’s ceremony because of the recent staffing downsizes that the school has experienced. Despite this, he said he is sure that everything will come together.
“It’s all going to work out, I have full confidence that it will,” Baxter said. “Just making sure everything goes smoothly is definitely a priority. Making sure I have a good speech is definitely on the top of my mind, but I think it will be a really fun, exciting day.”
Before they leave KSC in May, the words of wisdom that the two seniors said they wanted to send to underclassmen is to get involved on campus while you have the chance.
Baxter encouraged students to be present and enjoy living in the moment while reflecting on how quickly his time at Keene State has gone by.
“It feels like just yesterday I was moving in and starting my first day of freshman classes,” said Baxter. “Try and be present and be in the moment, and go out and have as much fun as possible. Join a club, join a team, just go and get involved on campus. That way, when you get to your senior year and you’re looking back and you’re reflecting like we are, you have all those fulfilling memories to look back on.”
Barrett similarly encouraged underclassmen to get involved and meet as many people as possible on campus.
“It’s not really that scary once you actually go out and meet people,” she said. “Once you have a community of people that you can rely on and spend time with, it makes the college experience so much more enjoyable.”
For the class of 2026, the KSC experience will soon be coming to a close. Through the rest of the semester, seniors can look forward to a bingo night and outing trips organized by their class government, as well as events like the graduation fair that are being put on by the college itself as the countdown to commencement rolls on.
Justin Dearborn can be contacted at
