"The days are dwindling down." This is a thought that currently runs through seniors’ minds everywhere. For many MVHS seniors, the quickness of graduation soon approaching is both exhilarating and terrifying. Caps and gowns are being handed out and tassels marked with a "23'" dangle from rearview mirrors and keychains. The easiness of public school coming to an end for the class of 2023 is simply becoming a harsh reality.

Unfortunately, for multiple seniors, with the excitement of graduation also comes a not-so-good, very bad case of senioritis: an annoying feeling that can quickly overtake many seniors in the last months of their high school careers. Categorized as being an affliction, senioritis is a comical term used to describe the lack of motivation that many seniors experience as they await graduation. Homework being turned in late, accumulating tardy passes, and simply not showing up to school are just a few potential signs of senioritis. 

Even seniors here at MVHS have been affected by the nasty annoyance. In a poll sent out to Mount Vernon seniors, a whopping collective 90.5% admitted to feeling the effects of senioritis, whether they be persistent or fleeting. For most, those final strides toward the finish line seem painstakingly tricky. One student describes the feeling as having "no motivation to do any work and stalling on filling things out." They continue describing their senior experience as "just [being] overly stressful lately."

One student also focused on how they honestly feel that in their current state, high school has somewhat become pointless. With enough credits to already properly graduate, they say "the amount of motivation it takes to get up at 7 am and go to school [till] 3 pm for 2 classes is insurmountable." Another student also touched on this saying that they have "pretty much just tried to do the bare minimum" in order to make it through their final semester.

Luckily, there are ways that seniors can help fight the aggravating effects of senioritis. In an article done by Southern New Hampshire University, the author offers some great tips on how seniors might successfully gain back that necessary motivation. Listed below are a few of those helpful tips.

People often have differing opinions and they hold tight to what they believe, ready to defend it any time it is questioned or attacked. But in the past few years, it has been easier to voice our opinions, and so when tension rises, hateful speech is a common occurrence. It’s important to know how to properly deal with hearing hate being thrown around school, the workplace, or even your home. Not dealing with hate in the right way can lead to even greater problems such as long lasting grudges or permanent prejudices. 

According to "A Guide for Administrators, Counselors and Teachers Responding to Hate and Bias at School,", “When a slur flies, speak up. When a racist joke is told, speak up. Make sure yours is a community that does not remain silent in the face of bigotry.” It is vital to know when jokes are crossing the line between acceptable and unacceptable. More often than not, people make jokes with no harmful intentions. It has become normal for those little funnies to have offensive undertones (racism, sexism, etc.), but this desensitization is incredibly harmful. Making light of real issues with humorous intent belittles the experiences of those affected. As a listener, be willing to call this behavior out when you see it; even the smallest of corrections can make a big difference. 

The University of Pennsylvania gives some advice to school staff members  on counseling the students who have been affected by hate speech: “Let the student express their anger. In the end, you’ll still be able to have your say. You’ll still be able to tell the student what you didn’t appreciate, and where you disagree. By not using your power in the beginning, you communicate that you are secure enough to handle others being upset. You let the student know their pain and anger is OK, and that you can safely handle it without rejecting the student or their feelings.”

There were even some great points made by Ms. Trish Johnston, our school media center specialist. She said that if we just give hate back when we get hate sent to us, nothing is going to get better. We have to use kindness if we want to get rid of negativity. Hate is nothing new. We have had things such as school fights and negative talk since school first began. But here’s the thing: our school has the least amount of fights out of all the schools in our area. We’ve made great progress, so let’s not give up the fight yet.  

It is important to share more of the good than the bad. The bad things will always be there, so let’s share the elusive good. One thing that gets people down is constantly seeing the bad things out there via the news, our phones, etc. Remember to balance all that out with some more good things. 

When you do encounter hate you can do two things. One is to walk away. Sometimes you just have to leave if you can’t find a way to give kindness. It’s better to be silent than to be spiteful. It’s possible for you to make things worse by staying and saying something you might regret. When it comes to social media, just put the phone down. Social media has made us more vulnerable to things like hate speech since it is so accessible, but we have the power to block people, get rid of an app, or to put the phone down. Another option is to intervene. If you see someone else being attacked with hate, don’t be afraid to step in and defend the person being attacked, or try to pacify both parties. If that doesn’t work, take the victim aside and walk away together. 

Emma Tobey also had some thoughts she wanted to share: not only are we ourselves teenagers, we’re also surrounded by them.. Everyone knows that teenagers say things. Sometimes they are hateful, whether it be joking or genuine. It’s important to know the difference between a harmless joke and underlying hate. If we take offense to everything, we’ll never be able to enjoy life, but if we let things slide that shouldn't, we’ll deprive the world of being one step closer to achieving social harmony. 

It’s safe to say teens usually say and do things without giving much thought about how it will affect the people around them. Sometimes it’s not the person being mean, they just didn’t think before speaking or acting. It happens more often than you think it does. Communication is important; if you communicate with people on what you think is appropriate or not, most of the time they’ll be respectful and watch what they say. It’s each of our responsibilities to keep ourselves accountable for the things we say and to respectfully keep each other accountable too.