The Secret Life of the Severna Park Senior
A peek inside what seniors do when they leave the school building early.
Seniors have the opportunity to leave school early in order to earn credits from AACC classes, partake in an internship, make some money or participate in a sport. With a shortened schedule, senior Paige Savani feels she is remaining productive and getting just as much done as if she remained at school for the entire school day, while still having fun. “Leaving school early definitely has its benefits like being able to work longer shifts and take college classes during the day so you are done when a normal school schedule would be ending,” Savani said. When I leave school, I almost never go home, I either go to work, AACC classes or I get breakfast with my friends.”
October 7, 2021
Throughout the school day, the SPHS building weeds out most of its eighteen year olds and by the time the bell rings at the end of the day, the majority of the population within the school walls are underclassmen. Not only do seniors get the privilege to drive to school each morning and park in the school parking lot, but they also have the opportunity to leave before the rest of the underclassmen finish their learning day.
For some underclassmen, seeing seniors leave provokes a sense of wonder and curiosity. What do they do each day when they get in their cars and drive away? Do they nap? Work? Play a sport? Drive up and down the coast in a day just to show up to class the next morning? While this type of traveling would be ideal for many students, most seniors use this extra time productively, filling it with countless activities.
Now that sports are back, numerous upperclassmen participate in either football, soccer, volleyball, unified tennis, cheer, cross country, golf or field hockey and leaving early provides some extra time to get prepared or relax before practice. Some of these seniors include soccer player Josh Higgins and football player Ashton Ferrer-White. Higgins has two classes most days, allowing him to leave 3-4 hours before the dismissal bell rings.
“I go home then I have to come back around 2:30 for [soccer] practice,” Higgins said.
“It gives me time to do homework before I have to come to practice and time to nap.”
Not only do seniors have commitments to SPHS sports, but many have alternate responsibilities that are not involved with the school, such as internships, AACC classes or jobs. Senior Danielle Bonk’s day consists of multiple of these duties. Not only does she participate in Varsity field hockey, but she also earned an internship with the NSA.
“[A shortened schedule] helps my after school activities because it allows me to participate in my internship,” Bonk said “It’s just like a full day of school.”
While underclassmen have similar responsibilities, they do not have the mirrored pressure of college applications. Some of the seniors use the extra time from their shortened day to apply to college or do other college related things.
“I think just seniors should leave early. It’s a privilege for seniors for making it this far in high school,” senior Bella Hodnett-Ortiz said. “Seniors also have more things going on, like college applications, and deserve more time to get it done.”
However unfair this might seem to underclassmen, this restricted schedule is definitely something to look forward to as a perk for making it into the final year of high school.
