Senior slide impacts students

“Senior slump? More like senior stop,” senior Ben Morris said in the senior lounge.

Senioritis has hit the class of 2014 hard and—according to students—those of this year’s graduating class are not the only ones affected.

“You can just kind of feel it in the air… it’s obviously second semester,” senior Yusra Murad said.

Second semester is notorious for bringing about a lazier attitude and usually a positive care-free vibe, but what happens when students are only feeling the laziness? The lounge is a scene of slumped shoulders, reclined old chairs and napping students. A lack of drive is as abundant as the empty paper coffee cups littering the room.

“Should I do this assignment?” one senior asked.

“Dude, it’s second semester senior year,” a friend responded.

The conversation stops there.

Every senior has heard this exchange more than once since second semester began, and although it can provide a feeling of relaxation for some, it’s really just an excuse. Motivation is at an all time low.

Rising seniors in the grade below look up to current seniors, and when all they see is rationalizing and excuse-making, it is easy to wonder why they should be any different. “I’m ready to be out of here and done. My motivation is at an all time low right now,” junior Julia Lagos said.

Around the junior benches, goofing around and putting off studying or assignments is nearly as common as in the senior lounge. Clearly, the class of 2014 has spread the legendary senioritis to those looking up to them.

Once in a slump, it is hard to get out. Those seniors who have been accepted and who have committed to colleges have even less reason to produce the impressive results they were once eager to earn. However, not every senior believes that now is the time to slump.

Senior Emun Solomon is ready to keep focused until the end of the year. “I am actually more committed to my homework this semester as opposed to earlier this year,” Solomon said.

Unfortunately though, this is not the case for every senior. As five senior girls convene in the lower library to complete two weeks of overdue homework senior Aria Bryan said, “This is so lame I could die,” and stops after only ten short minutes of work.

“Yeah, I’m definitely having trouble staying focused,” Bryan said. “Senior stop indeed.”