WHITNEY: Senior Olympics gone, never forgotten

WHITNEY%3A+Senior+Olympics+gone%2C+never+forgotten

KAIA WHITNEY

Due to recent schedule changes regarding junior testing, senior olympics has been cancelled this year. Yes, you heard me, cancelled, not moved, not rescheduled but cancelled. Senior olympics is an event that us seniors have been waiting for since we were freshmen in high school, and now we no longer get to enjoy one of the only events that made our senior year so exciting.

The class of 2018 has been through a lot. Coming into high school, we were the test monkeys for the integrated math program, which shows badly on a lot of our transcripts due to the fact that it was completely thrown at us.

We also are the first class that doesn’t get to enjoy some sleep in time when the juniors are testing at this part of the year; instead, we have to attend class where the itinerary has been modified to accommodate those missing class therefore ruining the bonding, early breakfast moments we so enjoy.

Every 15 minutes was also taken away from seniors this year, which in the past has been a very in depth way to spread the message about not drinking and driving. This is an event that should be available to all senior classes, as it it a matter that affects everyone.There was no event established as its replacement, and instead we just went on with our days not getting to witness the spectacle that has positively affected many seniors in past years.

Not only can we not sleep in, but we also have to participate in a test that no one is even going to try on due to the fact that it counts for absolutely nothing. Many of us have already been accepted to colleges, some of us are even committed; it just seems silly to waste our time taking a test that will basically end up in the trash.

Back to my point, senior olympics was one of the events that we still had to look forward to, and we were under the impression that they were still taking place until a week or two ago. Some seniors will not mind that the olympics are no longer occurring, but for some of us it is truly upsetting.

It represented a solid last hurrah the seniors had together as we competed against each other, dressed up, and created more lasting memories. Even as a freshman, I remember walking through the halls and seeing the smiles of seniors as they paraded in tropical shirts or ninja costumes, full of joy and life.

Why couldn’t they have been rescheduled to be a night event as they were in the past? This way students could choose if they wanted to participate or just skip out on the opportunity. We could’ve also moved senior olympics to take place during ROAR period. This period, yes, is only 30 minutes but we also have it four days a week.

With options like these there is no excuse for seniors to be robbed of this opportunity as it wouldn’t interfere with the school schedule, and would allow the tradition to continue.

All I am saying is that I feel like more effort could’ve been put into making this event still possible for seniors instead of just disregarding the fact that this is something a lot of people wanted to involve themselves with and especially with respect to what else we have stripped of.