Senioritis takes over

Ever felt like school should just be over? Seniors who are experiencing laziness, dealing with impatience, or finding themselves sick of doing work may have contracted the infamous disease Senioritis. This disease is known to infect seniors. Added to that disorder, spring fever can make school virtually intolerable for afflicted seniors.

“I think I’ve had Senioritis all year,” said senior Parker Bryan.

Underclassmen are also easy victims for spring fever. Summer is coming for them, but that following fall they have to gear up and return back to school. They should also realize that while this disease is in the air, their grades are still being counted either for or against their GPA. Even if it means having to distance oneself from the computer, television, or cell phone, a good exam score will be the ultimate reward. Students having trouble focusing should try to take a few short breaks in the studying time to stretch or simply relax their mind, as long as they get back to work as quickly as possible. They have to have the will power to deny themselves the great weather and sunshine to finish up homework and be prepared for class the next day. Someday these tips will also be handy when dealing with senioritis.

“I’m just so ready for the homework to end and for summer,” said sophomore Savannah Donnely.

Seniors feel as if this is the home stretch, a long home stretch that takes longer than they thought to complete. The impatient bunch cannot focus enough to accomplish small homework tasks or study for a major test. This puts them behind or failing because of a low-test grade. Though they may say “it will not hurt my average,” they could not be more wrong.

“Most seniors figure it’s time to slack off and just wait for summer to come,” said senior Camille Maynard.

Colleges review end-of-the-year transcripts, and seniors are re-evaluated after the school year is finished. According to Collegeboard.com, almost every college has placed a new clause in their acceptance letters: “Your admission is contingent on your continued successful performance.” A senior’s continued performance means the admission counselors will be looking over whether or not a senior slacked off the last couple of semesters.

Studying may be a senior with senioritis or an underclassmen with spring fever’s worst nightmare. A person could put what they have to study to music, or make up a set of hand gestures to help them recollect their studying. For other sorts of studying, like Math or Science, where a student has a set of problems to complete the student could turn it into a race of sorts. The race isn’t about getting done quickly, it’s about getting the problems done right and for each one the person gets right they can reward themselves with a piece of candy or a minute break. Not only one sole senior is hit with senioritis, so finding a study group if one is interested should not be too hard.

Teachers are by far the worst victims of spring fever. When a teacher catches this it can be fatal not only to them but also to their students. They are supposed to prepare them for the huge tests at the end of the year such as the EOC or semester exam, and if they fail to do so it can hurt a student’s grade. A student’s grades reflect a teacher’s job, which could hurt the teacher as much as the student.

The cure for teachers requires a bit more creativity and a lot more fun. They should find entertaining ways to teach and help their students learn. No one dislikes stickers as a reward for getting an answer right; in fact getting the ones with happy smiles makes it all the better. Candy is also a great reward to get the students up and ready to answer and paying attention, just make sure to give it to them right before their next class. Teachers could also make a game out of the lesson and fashion it after Jeopardy or Bingo.

English teachers may find that acting out a play may help students become more engaged. Math teachers could create a game with teams and whichever team wins the game, which will consist of problems from the lessons, could obtain extra credit on a test or quiz. Science teachers could find it is time to stop the lectures and break out the lab equipment for fun experiments. History or Geography teachers could scheme up creative songs to help students remember important dates or places.

Sadly, homework will not do itself and most people do not have photographic memories, but with fun ways to study or even conducting class, battling these diseases will be a piece of cake.

Why can’t we just dance?

I remember the good ol’ days from middle school when we had dances about five or six times a year. A disco ball would shine its shimmering lights on the walls, a DJ would play his funky music, and students could buy a plethora of junk food, sometimes even pizza. Why can’t we go back to those times when the two or three-time a semester dance could let us get footloose after a month or two of hard work?

Bartlett only has two total dances every year: the semi-formal Snowflake in November and the formal junior-senior prom in April, which underclassmen may only attend as guests of a junior or senior. Allowing the underclassmen to attend only one of two dances the entire year is a grave injustice. To be fair to them, Bartlett should hold a few more informal dances so that the freshmen and sophomores can enjoy themselves just as much as the upperclassmen. Hosting more dances for the underclassmen can also help encourage class unity and boost school spirit?

Bartlett clubs can also find a reason to host informal dances: money. For example, at Elmore Park Middle School the cheerleaders, the basketball team, and the band sponsored the main dances. All the profits from the $5 ticket sales and the concession sales would go toward activities—such as tournament travel and end-of-season banquets—that those groups would be unable to pay for otherwise. Clubs here at Bartlett can do the same thing. For example, the Spanish, French, and German Clubs could use the money to cover entrance fees for Foreign Language Fair. Also, Infinity Club could pay for water and snacks for the participants in the Special Olympics in the spring. These and other clubs could benefit from the sponsoring of informal dances.

Students can attend these events on the nights when they have absolutely nothing to do. Plus, some students do not have the money for a trip to the movies or a spree at the mall. The minimal cost of attending dances make the event ideal for lower income students and students who do not find that midnight shows and shopping sprees are their cup of tea.

Everyone can benefit from having informal dances at Bartlett. They can help keep students out of trouble by giving them a safe environment to enjoy. Also, these events provide an atmosphere promoting social interaction and goodwill among fellow students. And let’s not forget the joy we derive from dancing til we drop and then going home to a warm, soft bed!

So please, Bartlett, in the words of Lady GaGa, let us “just dance” and “spin that record.”