Oh my senioritis

Gabriel Regalado, Writer, Editor


Throughout our years at Whitney Young, the timing for our arrival to school has slowly progressed later. Freshman year, our eagerness to learn and preparation for the day usually got us out of bed. Over time, I’ve noticed that we slowly began to wake up later and later, arriving closer to the 8 AM bell. As a senior, we sometimes arrive 10-15 minutes late and sometimes push my arrival beyond 1st period. Some may relate this to an increase in confidence. But, as Cesar Pulido ‘1 has said, “being a senior means not feeling self conscious because you know there is no one to judge you.”

This raises a big question: Is this all because of Senioritis? Well, to be quite honest, the answer to that is yes. But, Senioritis is not what most think of it as. Unlike the stigma of disinterest in school that surrounds it, Senioritis is moreso a combination of self enjoyment and pursuit of personal passions.

Following my dismissal from class after 8th period, we’re given the opportunity to do what interests us most, but first we have to do our college applications. Working on these applications requires a lot of energy and concentration. Personally, I usually find myself working on them for a few hours. When we’re done for the night, there are a few extra hours left to do anything. This draining process leaves us in need for relaxation. So instead of doing homework, we’re doing things we want to do: like watching a movie, pursuing whatever passion, or spending time with friends.

Senioritis isn’t about not wanting to do anything school related. Instead, it’s about prioritizing the future of our lives and exploring our personal interests as a reward. As Ryan Zhu ‘19 says, “Being a senior is bittersweet. You get to see all of your hard work to pay off but know this will be your last hoo-rah as a high schooler.” Though this next phrase is overused in our college applications, this truly embodies a Whitney Young senior. We are learning more about our individuality.