Senior Week

Senior Week (also known as Beach Week, Senior Trip, or Grad Week) is a week where recently graduated high school and college seniors in the United States, mainly from the East Coast and the South go to the beach to spend time with their friends. It primarily happens in June, when most of the seniors graduate. The week varies depending on different schools, and school districts, but people still flock for the bulk of the month.

Description

During Senior Week, recently graduated high school and college seniors go to the beach to spend time with their friends.[1] This observance typically occurs during the last half of May and most of June.[2] During Senior Week, the graduates rent condos, beach houses or hotel rooms and enjoy each other's company. Graduates often party and participate in various beachside activities during Senior Week. Some popular Senior Week destinations include Dewey Beach, Delaware; Myrtle Beach, South Carolina; Outer Banks, North Carolina; Ocean City, Maryland; Panama City Beach, Florida; Virginia Beach, Virginia; and Wildwood, New Jersey.[3][4][5][6][7][8][9]

Ocean City, Maryland has several events catered to Senior Week which include Play it Safe, the Ocean City Car Show, & Dew Tour. Graduates are able to ride the bus free during senior week if they are to participate in any of the Ocean City-run Play it Safe events which include volleyball, miniature golf, paintballing, and karaoke.[10][11][12][13][14]

Myrtle Beach, South Carolina has become one of the most popular locations for recent graduates to visit in May and June.[15] Many students participate in the Myrtlemaniac Card club and entertainment program which includes a series of themed events, a concert, and discounts on transportation, food and other activities.[16]

Controversy

During Senior Week, some of the recently graduated high school students participate in illegal activities such as underage drinking, breaking local curfews, and causing excessive noise. Many beach towns have taken various steps to combat the illegal aspects of Senior Week, such as increasing the number of police officers on patrol to write tickets and arrest people for illegal activities. In Wildwood, New Jersey, a "Rowdy House" ordinance was implemented in 2010 where homeowners would receive a warning if the police are repeatedly called to the house for underage drinking or excessive noise. Following the warning, property owners can receive a fine of up to $1,000 and could lose their mercantile licenses. In Ocean City, Maryland, the Play it Safe program run by the town helps discourage the graduates from participating in illegal activities. In Dewey Beach, Delaware, officers from the police department travel to schools in the spring to remind students that underage drinking will not be tolerated in the town; this action has led to the decline of Dewey Beach as a Senior Week destination.[17]

The film The Graduates is about a group of high school graduates from Maryland who go to Ocean City, Maryland for Senior Week.[18]

See also

References

  1. ^ "What is Senior Week?". Senior Week Hotels. Senior Week Hotels. January 11, 2015. p. What is Senior Week?. Retrieved January 21, 2015.
  2. ^ "Senior Week Dates - Myrtle Beach Senior Week". Retrieved 2015-10-05.
  3. ^ Chandler, Michael Alison (March 21, 2012). "Senior Beach Week: Sex, drugs and crime are on tap, Md. police warn parents". The Washington Post. Retrieved February 18, 2013.
  4. ^ Dvorak, Petula (June 11, 2012). "Senior Week in Ocean City: How heinously are your kids behaving?". The Washington Post. Retrieved February 18, 2013.
  5. ^ Bryant, Dawn (June 13, 2002). "Senior Week: A blessing, a curse". Morning Star. Wilmington, NC. Knight Ridder. p. 7B. Retrieved February 18, 2013.
  6. ^ "Senior class to celebrate graduation with trip to Ocean City". The Express-Times. Easton, PA. April 11, 2012. Retrieved February 18, 2013.
  7. ^ "Wildwood to remain tough on rowdy visitors". Reading Eagle. Associated Press. May 25, 1986. p. B-8. Retrieved February 19, 2013.
  8. ^ "About Myrtle Beach Senior Week - Myrtle Beach Senior Week". Retrieved 2015-10-05.
  9. ^ Zoppo, Avalon R. (June 20, 2018). "Senior Week in Wildwood: A money-making machine that residents love to hate". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved June 20, 2018.
  10. ^ "Play it Safe". Ocean City Town. Play it Safe Ocean City. May 25, 2011. p. Home. Retrieved December 31, 2013.
  11. ^ "Dew Tour Ocean CIty". Dew Tour. Dew Tour. June 25, 2012. p. Home. Retrieved December 31, 2013.
  12. ^ "Senior Week Rentals". My Senior Week Publication. My Senior Week. May 25, 2015. p. Home. Retrieved December 31, 2013.
  13. ^ "OC Car Show". OC Car Show. May 25, 2014. p. Home. Retrieved December 31, 2013.
  14. ^ "OC Senior Week Rentals: Renting to Senior Week". Oc Senior Week Publication. Ocean City Senior Week. May 25, 2014. p. Home. Retrieved December 31, 2013.
  15. ^ "Star-News - Google News Archive Search". news.google.com. Retrieved 2015-10-05.
  16. ^ "Myrtlemaniac Card - Myrtle Beach Senior Week". Retrieved 2015-10-05.
  17. ^ Hatmaker, Julia (June 4, 2019). "High school Senior Week(s) fill June: How beach towns cope with more people, more problems". PennLive. Retrieved June 7, 2019.
  18. ^ Zak, Dan (May 25, 2008). "Senior Week! Filmmakers Take On the Ocean City Ritual". The Washington Post. Retrieved April 2, 2014.