Valentine’s Day is here! And with it comes so many joys: love, chocolates, romance and even a long weekend. Do you know what else all those things have in common?
They’re distractions.
Already in the midst of the third quarter, students are sidelining their academic ambitions to pursue “love” when they should be in the library studying. Instead of focusing on getting their assignments turned in, their minds lie elsewhere.
This is especially true of the seniors. With their multitude of free periods and their priority parking, they have grown much too lax in their scholastic endeavors. Days start being skipped, grades start slipping and that college acceptance letter that they hung up on the fridge is, soon enough, going to be meaningless.
Science teacher Stephen Nelson teaches all four grade levels and recounts their evolving habits. A trend he has noticed is when seniors turn into a “pumpkin,” comparing their transformation to that of Cinderella’s carriage. “Every single senior,” Nelson says, “turns into a pumpkin at some point in their senior year.” The point lies in a different spot for each student–some right out the gate, others when they get accepted into a college–but it happens to them all, eventually.
Mark Fisher, math teacher for all high school grades, also shares his experiences with the upperclassmen. Though fun to teach, he states that seniors are “a little more relaxed” than their previous junior year. Despite the change in ambition, he does enjoy teaching the graduating kids, no matter their work ethic.
This downward spiral is ingrained into the high school experience and may seem harmless, but does have major impacts on students’ futures. With enough lacking grades, those who had previously held full tuition coverage from Hope Zelle-Miller may have it rescinded. Along with a life-altering scholarship, insufficient grades and participation across the semester may result in the rescinding of college offers, making the entire academic journey worthless.
Seniors, skipping is fun and all, but when it matters most, we have to be showing up. Keep up that passion that got you here, so that when we walk across that stage, we walk proudly.
It’s the home stretch, y’all. Lock in.