The Perks of Being a Senior (or Almost a Senior) at SJS

After years of arduous work, on Wednesday, May 4, the seniors at St. John’s finally completed their last day of high school. They arrived at school that morning, proudly displaying their college shirts and taking pictures on The Quad for the last time as high school students. At St. John’s, there is a grassy area of campus referred to as The Quad, and it is a longstanding tradition that only seniors may step foot on this sacred space. In fact, it is rumored that if a non-senior walks on The Quad, they will not graduate from St. John’s, so students take the rule very seriously.

On the seniors' last day of school, many juniors and underclassmen jumped onto seniors' backs in order to take pictures with them on The Quad without risking their chances of graduating from St. John’s. The Quad is only one of the many special privileges that seniors at St. John’s enjoy.

Another St. John’s tradition is Senior Tea, a parent-planned lunch that occurs weekly, usually involving a theme, delicious food, and creative decorations. Senior Tea takes place on The Quad, and it instills a sense of community in the graduating class. Last week, after the seniors’ final day of school, the juniors experienced their first taste of senior privileges, as a group of junior parents hosted a Junior Tea. The parents set up a Mexican-themed meal on The Plaza, as the juniors are still not permitted to enter The Quad. The celebration consisted of tacos from Freebirds, cookies shaped like maracas and sombreros, and tissue paper floral centerpieces on each of the tables. The juniors bonded as a class and grew excited about becoming seniors as they caught a glimpse into what they would experience during the upcoming school year. 

In addition to the cherished traditions of The Quad and Senior Tea, seniors also enjoy special parking privileges, as they are able to park in an area more conveniently located to the high school, referred to as Senior Lot. While the rest of the student body must trek the eight minute walk from Taub Lot to the high school twice a day, Senior Lot’s proximity to campus ensures that seniors can walk a much shorter distance to and from their classes each day. Though Senior Lot is an extraordinary perk, only those seniors who arrive on campus early in the morning benefit, as there are only a limited number of parking spaces available. The seniors who arrive at school too late are forced to park in Taub Lot with the rest of the underclassmen. The dean of students recently announced that juniors will be permitted to begin parking in Senior Lot on May 23, granting juniors this senior privilege for the last two days of school.

Seniors also enjoy exclusive access to a hang-out room called Senior Country. This room contains comfortable bean bag chairs, video game consoles, music, and disco lights. Senior Country is an important way for seniors to relax during their free carriers and bond with  other students in their grade. Unlike the library, plaza, or other areas on campus, Senior Country provides seniors with a place reserved exclusively for them. Senior Country is a longstanding privilege afforded to St. John’s seniors, and current juniors will be granted access to Senior Country once the upcoming school year begins.

As the current school year comes to a close, juniors are becoming increasingly enthusiastic about becoming seniors in the fall. As the oldest remaining students on campus, they are experiencing a glimpse into the perks of seniority, becoming eager to transition into their new role on campus at the start of the new school year.