What is better than an ice cream party for an emotional farewell? Before departing for Spring Break, students enrolled in the winter Ceramics co-curricular held a Senior farewell party, celebrating the end of the  season. 

According to Ms. Christine Owen, instructor in ceramics, the idea for an ice cream party stemmed from a discussion comparing the decorative and functional aspects of ceramics. Throughout the program, students in the Ceramics co-curricular explored how their works could be both art pieces and utilitarian tools and decided to eat out of their work at the end of the season. “We were talking about the relationship between pottery and food, the time before Tupperware and takeout containers, and [then] one thing led to another,” Ms. Owen said. 

The planning process of the ice cream party and its challenges provided more opportunities for Ceramics students to connect with each other. By popular vote, the group settled on Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams, an artisan ice cream company headquartered in Ohio with over 40 “scoop shops” nationwide. The attendees initially searched for ways to sell their works to earn money for the ice cream party, but Ms. Nora Yasumura, director of clubs and affinity groups, covered the cost from the club fund.

Since the Seniors expected to return after Spring Break, the event ended up being more meaningful than students anticipated. “It was a wonderful party and send-off which in retrospect became a celebratory parting moment for this small group of seniors,” says Ms. Owen. 

Summer Liu ’20, who was in the Ceramics co-curricular, looks back on the event fondly, happy that students could sit at a table and share ice cream without worrying about social distancing. She said, “At the time it did not feel like anything beyond a good conclusion to our season together, but in retrospect, that was the last time seeing the art wing, some of the people in Ceramics, and my very last co-curricular at Hotchkiss.”