From a young age students picture themselves in their final year of school; throwing their grad-caps in the air, getting into their favorite college, not having a single worry in the world. These visionary tales are just that: visionary tales. If you were to ask the senior class of 2020 about their final year so far, they’d tell you that there is much more to being a senior than just the highlights. “It’s not really what I expected, like, I thought that there would be a shift and I would be like ‘Oh, I’m a senior’…like, it’s exciting, but um, I think that it doesn’t feel that different from being a junior,” Julia Lucas ‘20 said when asked about how she feels being a senior.
Sayer Gage ‘20 also commented on the matter, stating, “I feel a lot less prepared as a senior, but I guess that’s how you’re supposed to feel. As a freshman, you think that the seniors have everything handled; they have everything ready”. As a freshman, people believe that the seniors are these unapproachable ‘adults’ who know what they’re doing in life. This, however, is a falsity. Lucas states it best, “I was definitely afraid of the seniors freshman year …they looked so much older than me and, I thought they kind of had it like all together, you know … as I’ve gotten older and kind of started to get to know the seniors more, I’ve kind of realized that nobody really knows what they’re doing and, like, kind of being a senior and having that responsibility isn’t something that you’re like ‘taught’ it…you kind of have to make it up as you go.”
Many students refer to a preconceived notion that the senior classes are too burly and scary to socialize with; lots of underclassmen don’t ever talk to a senior unless they are stuck in a class or sport with them. When asked about how the senior class could improve upon the faults, like these, of the previous graduate classes, Tate Gregor ‘20 stated “ reaching out to lower grades, I don’t know. Keeping, kind of, high energy”.
One of the best parts about being a senior is being able to help lead the school in both energy and as a role model; this all starts, however, with the seniors working as a cohesive group. Gage said, “I think it would be beneficial to make sure we all kind of function as a family; work as a unit, kind of support each other when we need it; honestly I think that’s the only thing we really can do and we kind of hold each other up to a standard that we would hold ourselves to,” on how the class of 2020 could be the best class yet.
The start of senior year is especially disheartening, with Common App applications due and several students trying to fit as many APs as possible into their schedule to try to make a final push to get into the college of their dreams. It seems like Gage’s comment is more and more necessary for the senior class to be the backbone of the high school. Seniors have discovered that it takes more energy than one would think when coming into the auditorium and hearing the “seniors seniors” chants as they look upon the graduating class smiling and happily socializing together; not only does a senior have to be a good role model for the entire upper school, but they also have to be the face of the school while simultaneously balancing their APs, work, sports and college applications.
The class of 2020 has the courage to be one of the best senior classes that Blake has ever seen; but as they prepare for their year, only time will tell.
