Canes, cupcakes, and crewnecks decorate the Learning Commons: It’s Friday, and the seniors are buzzing with excitement—or a sugar rush. The vibrant orange and blue banner congratulates seniors on their many milestones, while underclassmen prowl for slivers of sweetness from a generous donor. Amid the chaos, the lunch monitors sigh, accepting the imminent mess and rearranging of chairs that come with the Parent Association’s (PA) weekly senior treat, a beloved tradition.

Students greedily await their end-of-week treats. At the start of the year, the PA’s senior treat co-heads—Nancy Dwyer and Anne Snyder, for this year’s graduating class—send out a sign-up for parents to select a date to distribute treats, and seniors are sent a preference form requesting their clothing sizes, dietary restrictions, and suggestions.

From there, parents purchase the treats, and the co-heads organize the event by reserving tables for the designated Friday and providing helpful guidelines to volunteers.

Senior parent Erin Ohlms shared some of the requirements for a safe and successful treat. “If it's an edible treat, you have allergen information available, and it has to be sealed up individually and brought by a third party,” she said. Additionally, parents coordinate with the co-heads to avoid repeat treats and make sure the correct number of treats are prepared leading up to Fridays.

On the big day, Ms. Dwyer and Ms. Snyder work behind the scenes to prepare for each treat. “We help [parents] with setting up, loading in their treat, or coordinating with facilities so that they have their tables ready and their senior banner up,” Ms. Dwyer said. “We’re really [there to] help other parents facilitate their senior treats.”

In most cases, the treats trim down to three categories: sweet, savory, or stylish.

“I’d say 95% of the time, I’m excited, [and] if it’s something sweet, I’m super excited,” said senior Allegra Cerda, an enthusiastic participant in the weekly treat.

The seniors’ enthusiasm is contagious and infects younger grades, building anticipation for the treats as students get older.

As a freshman, senior Ariel Goodman recalls how she felt seeing her brother, Eli Goodman ‘23, with a treat in hand. “I was always really jealous because all the food looked really good, and I was so excited to be a senior for when I [could] get to have a treat on Fridays,” Ariel said. “Whenever he didn’t want it, he was just like, ‘Do you want it?’ So then I took it, and it was awesome.”

Although not all seniors had an older sibling to swipe treats from, many younger students receive extras from senior friends.

“My sophomore year, Mikayla Smey [‘23 gave me] this hot chocolate that was maybe the best thing I ever had, and I was like, ‘Wow, I want to be a senior,’” senior Izzy Schafer said.

Senior James McMillan recounted a similar story. “I was blessed once by Bradyn [Umbenhauer ‘24],” he said.

For parents, senior treats are a celebration of how far their students have come. Ms. Dwyer shared that her favorite part of the treat is “seeing the seniors get their treats, because it’s kind of a rite of passage [after] watching since freshman year.”

Ms. Ohlms mirrored this sentiment. “It’s a pretty amazing milestone, and so I’m really excited to be able to contribute,” she said.

Younger students, such as junior Alex Stamos, eagerly look forward to this tradition. “It’s not just food now,” Alex said. “You get clothing, like flip flops and stuff, so it’s really sick.” Alex and other students can easily get a glimpse into senior life by simply strolling Latin’s halls, where seniors proudly parade their new apparel for everyone to envy.

Whether it’s this year’s Roman-colored pajama pants and crewneck sweatshirts with a Ralph Lauren-esque teddy bear, or previous years’ navy blue Crocs and bright orange hats, senior treats are always a memorable occasion for both the graduating seniors and fellow Romans.

However, these gifts make some community members question whether the infectious excitement and treasured tradition outweigh the mess it often creates.

Upper School librarian Lisa Patton, whose desk resides a mere 50 feet from the treat table, elaborated on the story of the Crocs. “There were an unbelievable number of [pairs] that got left behind in the library,” Ms. Patton said. “They went in the lost-and-found, and eventually were donated, which is great, but it seemed like a lot of waste.”

During lunch, senior treats often become an issue of cleanliness, not just waste. “I’m excited for the seniors to have a nice treat at the end of the week, [but] I hope that they don’t leave a mess everywhere,” Upper School English teacher and occasional lunch monitor Jim Joyce said. “I don’t find them that disruptive, but it becomes another occasion for a potentially messy gathering to be added to the post-lunch mess.”

Despite the habitual chaos each Friday, seniors enjoy their weekly treat, whether it offers new clothing or an alternative to the typical lunch options they’ve eaten for the past four years. Many seniors express their gratitude for the tradition.

“This is very unique to Latin, so I think we’re really lucky to get to have it every Friday,” Ariel said.