by Alyssa Pena | staff writer
Well, seniors, we did it. We’re almost done. But before we can shrug into our gown and adorn our cap and tassel, we still have a few more weeks to go. Cue the exasperated groans. I know, I know, but we have to get through this. We have to make the tassel worth our hassle here at JHS. So here we go; let’s dive right in.
Seniors, we have to remain civil in this urgent time of escape. We have so much to look forward to, and throwing away our shot to the oasis of graduation is definitely not how to spend the next three months. But that doesn’t mean we can’t have fun. And, traditionally we do. Seniors year after year perform crazy antics that they hope will make them remembered amongst the underclassmen; the senior pranks, senior skip day, and the hilarious game of senior assassins are traditions handed down allow students to let off steam. However, they all come at a cost.
Despite the feeling of excitement that pounds in your chest when you do a dastardly deed against the rules of the school and the sensation like you’re floating on a cloud, the administration will be pulling you down to the ground in no time flat. Doing actions that could land you in the office your last nine weeks of school does not look good on any school record, and I highly doubt your choice college is going to be very accepting of your behavior. For example, let’s say that a senior was to participate in this year’s senior skip day. They’d get a kick out of sleeping in, watching Netflix, and neglecting all responsibilities, but do they even care about the amount of trouble they’ll be in the next day? No, of course they won’t. But you can bet that administration has a mouthful to say regarding that one student and the hundreds of other seniors that have skipped.
Not only will seniors be taking part in senior skip day, but they’ll also be into the senior prank. The seniors that want to participate enjoy the idea of being secretive and stealthy; they think that the main office doesn’t have a clue as to what they have planned. News flash, kiddos, they already know a senior prank is imminent. And they will bring order and justice back to this school once they have the chance. C’mon, you’ve undoubtedly seen the way our assistant principals sweat with stress and anger when they have to break up a fight at lunch, or if they have to deal with a relatively small front office issue. Don’t get me wrong, the senior prank is fun and hilarious but is it really worth getting in trouble over in the last weeks of school? To me, no it is not.
The class of 2016 has been notorious among the administration here to be rowdy and a group of troublemakers since middle school. However, that doesn’t mean a thing. Seniors this time of year tend to be more lax and reluctant to do anything if it doesn’t result in them getting something in return. And these traditional, student-led events are just a taste of the end of school hype. It gives them a taste of rebellion, and the sweet taste of freedom.
But, my fellow seniors, there must be a time where we face reality and see for ourselves that there’s still a long road ahead of us. Of course, the year is coming to an end, and we’re just dying to be done with high school, but we have to think about what comes next after we walk the stage. I have to admit–I’m nervous for the world after high school. No one’s going to baby me anymore. I’m going to need to wake up by myself, make my own meals, and pay for my own necessities. So I’m going to relish in all the little things that the school has planned for the final sprint to the end.
Since I was a freshman, I have waited until the day I became a senior so I could go to my final prom in a beautiful dress with my friends, so I could go on the field trip, miss school, and not have to worry about non-AP tests (yes, of course I still have to worry about those, are you kidding me?). I wanted to honor a teacher that has impacted my educational experience at the Summa reception (shoutout to my fifth grade teacher Ms. Craig), I wanted to have exams early so I could go with the rest of the senior class to graduation rehearsals on the band pad, and I wanted to watch my fellow classmates show off their talents at the talent show. I wanted all of these things because I knew that these were tradition, and I’m a sucker for traditions. They would make me feel special, like I was part of something greater than just being one small fish in the big pond that is Johnson.
That’s all still in progress, and yet I’m still waiting for that final day, where I can kiss the four years I’ve spent here goodbye by walking out of the curtain on stage at Freeman Coliseum with my cap and gown, where I shake Mr. Mehlbrech’s hand, and I look out at the sea of blue, my fellow classmates that I’ve probably known since kindergarten, and at last until I finally feel free. That’s what I’m looking forward to; that is what makes spending the last nine weeks here worth it.
