Students stand in line for SUBOG’s annual event, One Ton Sundae. (The Daily Campus/Nicole Jain)
The Class of 2019’s senior scoop is “Peanut Pretzel Paw Prints” and is the seventh custom flavor created to honor University of Connecticut seniors, Ethan Haggerty, area manager of UC Cafes and Dairy Bar, said.
“Peanut Pretzel Paw Prints” is vanilla ice cream with a peanut butter caramel swirl and chocolate-covered pretzels, Haggerty said. The flavor was created by Jordan Shauck, Syed Naqvi, Flannery Macklin, Madison Ready, Maeve Manfredi and Kylie Miller.
After seniors voted for the winning flavor, the alliterative name was created by Sabreena Mei.
This year’s run of the senior scoop has 201 tubs, Haggerty said. Each tub has three gallons each, so there are 603 gallons of Peanut Pretzel Paw Prints that Dairy Bar will be selling throughout the semester.
Haggerty said that there is a “wide variety” among all the senior scoops. “Peanut Pretzel Paw Prints” is the first one to feature pretzels. The previous winners have been the 2017 Berry Happy Husky, 2016 Coffee Heath Barn Hill, 2015 S’More Husky Pride, 2014 Jonathan Java Crunch, 2013 Mirror Lake Mint and 2012 Peanut Butter Cookie Swirl.
The popularity of the ice cream is determined by how many non-UConn related customers buy it, but they tend to go through the ice cream quickly, Haggerty said.
“[It] depends on the year and if it is attractive to non-UConn customers at the Dairy Bar,” he said. “Generally, we run out by June each year.”
The annual Winter Weekend One Ton Sundae, which is usually in the beginning of February, is considered “the official unveiling of the flavor” and the one batch lasts a few months, Haggerty said.
“The creamery produces one large run of the Senior Scoop in January, and we make sure we keep some to have over graduation weekend in May,” Haggerty said.
The tradition of having a senior scoop began in 2012 when UConn president Susan Herbst suggested the idea of a student-created ice cream flavor to honor seniors through the Student Affairs office, Haggerty said. The idea has grown, and now Dining Services, the UConn Foundation, the Alumni Center and Animal Science work together to create the ice cream.
“I believe the idea came about when they were trying to develop more activities and programs specific to seniors,” Haggerty said. “It has [now] become an annual tradition that Seniors look forward to.”
Stephanie Reitz, university spokesperson, said that the project has been successful in making seniors happy.
“The Senior Scoop has been popular ever since it began and adds to the excitement of our seniors’ final semester,” Reitz said. “It’s also a fun way for the Dairy Bar to experiment with ice cream combinations, and our senior scoop flavors are always in demand when they’re introduced.”
UConn seniors are involved throughout the process each year, Haggerty said.
“Seniors can submit flavor entries via online submittal at the beginning of the fall semester,” he said. “All entries are whittled down to a dozen or so assorted flavors [or] mix-ins, so there is a good assortment to send to the official judges.”
The judges, approximately 12, are seniors from student leadership positions, Haggerty said. Judging takes places at the Dairy Bar around Dec. 1 with the judges each year
“[The best submitted flavors] are sent to the official judges to get trimmed down to 3 or 4 that will actually be made for tasting and judging,” he said. “Winning flavor is decided via secret ballot submissions of the official judges.”
After the flavor is selected, seniors can then submit names, Haggerty said. A set of the best names are posted online and they can vote for their favorite name.
Haggerty said he enjoys working on this uplifting project.
“It’s a really nice collaborative effort between multiple departments that makes a lot of students happy, and in general a lot of fun to be a part of,” he said.
Rachel Philipson is a campus correspondent for The Daily Campus. She can be reached via email at rachel.philipson@uconn.edu.