Allyson Botzum

As the school year comes to an end, seniors begin to pick out their “class clown” and “brightest smile,” and the class bonds one last time before their high school comes to an end.
Senior superlatives allow seniors to vote for their other classmates’ features that they best represent. From “best hair” to “most likely to be late to graduation,” the class bonding over votes and campaigning allows for growth as a community.
This ability to uplift others for features that may have gone unnoticed for the past four years can make students feel seen for the formulated outfits they’ve worn or friendship that’s lasted since pre-k and is stronger than stone.
While some argue that superlatives can be offensive and promote bullying, they fail to realize that superlatives are selected by students and staff and are reviewed before sent out. Teachers wouldn’t allow for students to vote for “stinkiest breath’ or “worst outfits,” and students would not be motivated to participate if all it spread was negativity.
Some students complain that the options for voting are not inclusive and bring down the hype surrounding superlatives, yet these same students did not participate in the Google form that asked about what superlatives options they would like to see. Superlatives are made from student suggestions and not picked at random.
Some also believe that superlatives represent a “popularity contest” yet each student has the ability to vote, which allows for inclusivity across the student body, so all students are represented if they want to be.
Superlatives are not meant to harm students but rather create an opportunity for students to honor others who may have photogenic features or the funniest jokes. Students having the chance to be altruistic and give recognition to some classmates doesn’t harm the rest of the students in the class.
Before seniors all move apart from each other and start a new chapter in their life, they should be able to run silly campaigns and be appreciated for fun categories to connect one last time.