By: Ola Adekola, Eric Dunn, Ken Ellis, Michael Fraser
Watch out Loganville High School seniors, there is an infectious condition going around, and not everyone is immune! You’ve spent the past three years working hard on maintaining good grades and dedicating any spare time to extra-curricular activities, in order to get into a university that will set you up for the rest of your adult life. Most of you have already been accepted into colleges you applied to. Suddenly, it feels as if a weight has been lifted off your shoulders. You probably feel it's time to relax due to the limited time and seemingly pointless schoolwork. Believe it or not, that is the first warning sign of a condition known as Senioritis. Senioritis is an affliction that mainly targets students in their final year of high school, characterized by a decline in motivation and/or performance. With this outbreak occurring primarily within the senior class, there seemed to be no better group to investigate than the seniors themselves. Student Aaron Rollings described Senioritis in simple terms: “getting lazy.” He mentioned that he is, in fact, afflicted by Senioritis, but he has to combat it due to having multiple Advanced Placement classes, which require a lot of time and effort to maintain good grades. Another LHS senior, Mayseo Woods, shared his thoughts on Senioritis, or as he called it, “the terrible epidemic of laziness.” He believes fatigue and a lighter workload lead to students “skipping class” and “talking back [to teachers].” While Woods does not believe Senioritis is a natural part of being a senior, he does believe it can be easily avoided by setting and focusing on accomplishing goals. His advice to those struggling during their senior year is to just quit being lazy. He has been trying his best to follow his own advice since his sophomore year of high school. Now, of course, Senioritis is widely recognized by students, but the staff and faculty members are not at all blind to these strange behaviors and feelings displayed by the seniors. Mrs. Sargent has been the ‘Senior Sponsor’ at LHS for quite a long time, fifteen years to be exact. As a result, she has a very “up-close and personal” experience with senioritis and its effects. When asked how apparent Senioritis was to her, she replied by saying it can be seen as early as the second semester in junior year of high school. The tell-tale signs of Senioritis that she mentioned are a decline in work ethic, a decline in attention to instruction, and an increase in procrastination. However, she believes that those affected by Senioritis tend not to acknowledge it. She notes this has been a common trend among students, even since the "olden days." Mrs. Sargent's message to those that find themselves struggling or starting to struggle is this: "You’ve worked too hard to slip now," so finish the school year strong. Mrs. Brock is in charge of all things attendance-related at LHS. She, along with Mrs. Williams, a counselor, believes that a probable cause for lack of attendance from seniors is the freedom they feel when it comes to being able to drive to and from school. In addition, Mrs. Brock believes that lack of attendance correlates with poor grades. She stated that the two go, “hand in hand.” Mrs. Williams commented, “Students are ready to be grown, causing them to care less about what’s going on in high school,” then went on to say, “about only 10% of a class comes to her about Senioritis.” She felt those affected were good students who were entering adulthood, and as a result, were being negatively affected by their recent increases of freedom. Another senior student who is feeling some symptoms of Senioritis is Isabelle Hurd. Though not exactly dealing with it as she feels she should, Isabelle believes that, useful or not, it would be beneficial to just keep learning. When asked what advice she would give to other students in her same situation, Isabelle said it best when she remarked, “you’re not alone. It affects a lot of people, but it might affect your next step more than you think it will.” So seniors, pick yourselves up. Most of you have limited time left at LHS, but don’t give up now. Don’t fall short just to become another victim of the infectious plague known as Senioritis. Be tough, and finish high school strong!