A long upheld tradition for the graduating class each year is senior ditch day. A tradition for schools across America, senior skip day, also known as ditch day, is a day seniors hit the snooze button on the alarm clock or can plan a day of fun with their fellow classmates.
In the young students’ minds this is nothing but a harmless day of fun taking a break from school and being able to relax with graduation just around the corner. Students generally use this day for resting after a long prom weekend, but some may also use this day to bond with friends, and go to an amusement park or out to breakfast.
What takes the fun away from seniors is the fact that the administrators and/or deans at school will punish the students who are not called in on “senior ditch day”, but it is not really ditching if a parent/guardian has to call them in. Why do policies need to be enforced on this one day? If seniors tried to schedule multiple ditch days, then it would be a problem, but one day is not hurting anything.
Also, it seems to be quite a coincidence that AP testing is on senior ditch day, so those seniors have to show up to school.
Another tradition that has survived for so long is the senior prank, in which countless schools participate.
A few times in the past there have been pranks that showed that seniors are not mature enough to do a funny, non-dangerous prank such as spilling cooking oil in the hallway, even near stairways.
However, some pranks are extremely memorable and safe. In many schools the seniors put time and thought into their prank, doing witty things such as one school turning their senior parking lot into a beach or hiring a mariachi band to follow around their principal throughout the day.
Pranks like these are what schools do not have a problem with; a harmless action with no consequences or bad memories.
If students are being responsible with the pranks, there does not seem to be an issue. Seniors should be allowed a last, funny memory to carry with them throughout the rest of their years.
We feel that the administration should allow students to keep both of these traditions alive.