Being a high school senior means more than blossoming class pride, Prom and the ominous college process: it also comes with a “big-shot” status. Seniors have survived and succeeded; here we are, finally at the top of the Andover food chain. We’re versed in academic and social parables, and we’re the most experienced students on campus. As the “veterans” of Andover, it is only natural that Seniors should be granted extended privileges during their last year here. Yet when I look at the privileges Seniors are given at other schools, I wonder how much independence we’ve really been given. We may, as Andover students, be held to a higher standard, but it doesn’t mean we have any more or less teenage tendencies than our peers at other schools. After spitballing, two ideas prevailed as the most plausible and, arguably, the most advantageous: Senior-only parietals during study hours and optional finals for Seniors in the Spring. Not only have Seniors mastered the art of budgeting time, we also have no concrete study hours and no preliminary sign-in Monday through Thursday. Being Seniors, we know how to respect those working around us (believe me, we remember exactly what it was like during Upper year), so additional time for parietals would be exercised responsibly. Furthermore, with less work and pressure, Seniors have a tendency to hang out later at night. By allowing parietals to take place later into the evening, Andover will decrease the risk of Seniors resorting to illegal parietals during study hours. Beyond the social, I would also love to see an academic change implemented by the administration regarding finals during Senior Spring. The Senior Spring mindset is one of nostalgia—it is all about having fun and remembering the glory of Andover days. It also comes with, unfortunately, a slacker attitude to school work (see, senioritis) and the inability to function academically in sunny weather. With this in mind, why not make finals for Seniors optional if they are earning an honors grade in the respective class? This would be an additional way for Seniors to embrace all that is Andover, minus the stress of exams, before we say our final goodbyes. To achieve an honors grade indicates a clear dedication–and Seniors, in however many years here, have shown our constant dedication to Andover in the classroom and beyond. Most importantly, the majority of Seniors are already into college by the end of spring, and these grades won’t impact the admissions process, especially for those students who are earning honors. In the wake of graduation—a stressful, emotional, and exciting time for all Seniors and their families—decreasing the number of exams would forge an infinitely better final memory of Andover. As Seniors, we are the oldest, most experienced students on campus. It is only fair that with age, experience and the wisdom from a few years at Andover, we should earn certain freedoms. These privileges would be a way of rewarding Seniors for their dedication, perseverance and hard work. After several years of long nights and the rigor of Andover academics, we deserve it. Nikita Singareddy is a three-year Senior from Midland, MI.
