School Starts Tomorrow: A Note to Seniors

It’s the night before. The last hours of freedom. Freshmen are filled with jitters, sophomores are ready to see their friends, juniors are ready to get away from their parents, and seniors? They don’t know what they’re feeling.

Somewhere between straight fear and pure comfort lies senior year. You’ve been at this twelve years so you feel like you’ve got it. But at the same point, you’re terrified of the lasts.

Everyone walks in those doors armed with their pens and pencils ready to tackle the year. But did you ever just stop? I didn’t think so. Sometime, stop and take it all in. Can you see what number was spray painted on B building? Do you know who the new tree is planted in memory of? Do you know what class donated the sign in the flower bed? Take it all in. The blinding light of a morning sunrise reflecting off the floor, the sound of the band practicing before school, the smell of the halls (okay, maybe not that, but you get the idea). Take it all in before it becomes a mere memory.

Spend the time to get to know your teachers, the lunch ladies, secretaries, and janitors (a word of advice, Introduce yourself to Tira in the ALC room. You’ll never once regret it.) The world is all about connections, and you just never know who might have had that same teacher, or who he/she knows.

While I’m on the topic of connections, people just be nice. I know it’s high school. I know that she left you for him, I know that your team got beat, I know that you bombed that paper, but I also know that as much as you want to deny it now, when you hit those doors after graduation practice in May all you’ll want is to apologize for the time you didn’t spend with those friends, and the nasty things you said. You never know when that other person will be interviewing you (or your future kid) for a job, cashing your check, fixing your car, or caring for you in the hospital. Be nice. Talk to the kid you’ve never talked to before. Make new friends. Rediscover old friendships. You never know when you’ll see someone again.

Get out and have fun! Support your friends on the field, court, show ring, rifle range, stage, or wherever else they showcase their talents. Go to the games. Sit in the student section. Go to Taco Bell afterword. Give high fives and fist bumps, and cheer when the leading scorer walks in the door.

The bottom line is, you have 180 days left together before you’ll never see some of those classmates ever again. And while that sounds hard to believe, trust me reality will slap you hard in the face when you realize that you’ll never hear a friends voice again.

You’ll notice in English the teacher has a sign on her desk. It says “I have resolved to live everyday as if it’s the last hour of my life.” Think that over this year. Walk out of those doors regretting nothing, it’s your year. Everyone else has their eyes on you. It’ll be rough some days. You’ll wonder how anyone makes it to college. There will be times where you want to throw in the towel and give up. One person can chose to power through, and that’s you. It’s up to you to set the tone. Have a good (and safe) time and make it your own. Leave your mark on the school, community, and each other. And one more thing, Go Cats!