2025 Graduating Senior!

This February, seniors gathered at the Davis Center for a creative afternoon of cap decorating, laughter, and celebration. The event, held on Friday, February 14th from 3–5 PM during Winter Carnival, gave graduating students the chance to personalize their mortarboards before Commencement and take a breather before the whirlwind of spring really sets in.

The idea for the event came from College Marshal Lee Park and Director of Academic and Presidential Events Lauren Barenski, who wanted to create a relaxed and joyful space to encourage students to pick up their caps and gowns early and to add a little extra sparkle to Commencement.

2025 Graduating Seniors!

Decorating supplies were in no short supply. Thanks to the efforts of the FabLab, Campus Life, and the Makerspace, the room was filled with all the artsy bits and pieces anyone could ask for: scrabble tiles, glitter glue, rhinestones, stickers (including some donated by Alumni Engagement), ribbon, rubber duckies and cows, hot glue guns, pom pom makers, and even silk screens designed just for the event. For anyone who wanted to go big, the FabLab also had Cricut machines and power strips ready to go, and student workers were on hand to show folks how to use everything. One student even added braids to her cap in honor of Pippi Longstocking and a statistics class that changed her life!

As students designed their caps, they could also swing by the photo booth for fun graduation pics complete with props and plenty of smiles. Lauren Barenski kindly took the lead on managing the booth, making sure everyone got their moment to shine. This video promo shared beforehand reminded students to bring their caps (and ideas!) and offered helpful tips like sketching out your design first, spacing letters evenly, and testing materials before gluing things down permanently. Although turnout wasn’t as high as hoped, the students who came definitely got into it, creating beautiful, meaningful designs that reflected their time at Williams.

Looking ahead, there’s more fun to come! With leftover supplies on hand, the team hopes to collaborate with the student All Campus Entertainment (ACE) group to host another cap decorating event during Senior Week—so stay tuned for details. This cap-decorating gathering wasn’t just about craft supplies or fun photos. It was about community, creativity, and carving out time to reflect on the journey through Williams. In the sea of matching gowns this June, these personalized caps will speak volumes about each student’s story, passions, and memories—and it all started on a snowy February afternoon at the Davis Center.