To all Harriton High School students, the end of January means one thing: midterms. However, to all Harriton High School seniors, the end of January means that the beginning of second semester is approaching and that we are a mere three months away from finishing high school- finally!  Unfortunately for teachers, the “Senior Slump” that is known to occur after midterms of a student’s senior year is not just an urban legend, but instead it is a fact.  Just as RAM day is a Harriton tradition to honor the clubs and organizations that students work so hard to support, being a “Second Semester Senior” is an honorary tradition that becomes a Harriton students’ dream upon entering the school on that fated day in September freshman year.
While many are quick to criticize a student’s lowered energy level and a heightened desire to do anything but work at this time during the year, I think it is a right of passage, like seniors being guaranteed a parking pass.  We seniors have worked hard for four years and I think we are well deserving of a period of relaxation, a time when school doesn’t have to mean intense pressure to get good grades or achieve academic excellence.  For many students, their high school career has been dedicated to working hard and challenging themselves; choosing the most rigorous schedule, dedicating their time to extracurricular activities and maybe even working after school.  The time for Harriton seniors to take a break from their stressful high school experience has come, and it is something to be celebrated!
Yet rest assured Harriton faculty, the “Senior Slump” doesn’t mean that students will stop working and that attendance will decrease.  In fact, I think it is the idea of the “Senior Slump,” that we are that much closer to finishing our last year of high school that has the most pacifying effect on students during second semester.  Just knowing that the end is in sight is reassuring enough.  Now I don’t mean to make high school sound like four years of misery, but these adolescent years are trying times, a point in our lives during which we mature and have to grow up in order to prepare ourselves for our post-high school experience, whether that be entering college or the work force.  I think that because of this stress, it has been hard to fully enjoy youth, the years we should cherish and enjoy the most.  With relief from the stresses of school, I believe that everyone can breathe a heavy sigh of relief that the efforts they have put forth have paid off, and after the hardest work is done, it is time to relax and have fun.
To my fellow seniors, I congratulate you on your diligence and the fact that you have earned the right to kick back and enjoy the rest of your senior year. To everyone else, have no fear—your time will come soon!