Dear Editors,

Jett Bronstein’s article last issue, “Senioritis,” did a good job of analyzing the problem on a deeper level than is generally done.  However, I don’t think it fully covered the issues with how the Parker community treats senioritis. When talked about, a stigma exists around senioritis similar to the stigma assigned to crack addicts during the height of the war on drugs. It seems far more likely that the dozens affected each year suffer from a series of psychological and cultural circumstances rather than simply bad character. Nevertheless, students and faculty alike consistently choose discipline and condescension over sympathy or even just trying to understand why students turn into such slobs.

This is not to say that seniors deserve the right to senioritis because of all the work put forth during the rest of high school, or that they are absolved of any blame. Seniors are definitely partially responsible. Instead, I’m suggesting that it would be more helpful to all (seniors included because the boredom of senioritis is arguably most unpleasant for seniors themselves) to treat the epidemic pragmatically, not retributively. Considering we are taught about the negative and sometimes purposefully evil effects of harsh reactions to widespread issues like drug addiction and homelessness, it has always felt very contradictory that the community at large responds to second-semester seniors so archaically.

Sincerely,

Mitch Bedows ‘18