With pep rallies, college acceptance, and of course, graduation to look forward to, senior year is one of the most anticipated years for a high schooler.  One of the most exciting things about being the top dogs of school is senior privileges, which set the seniors apart after 13 years of school.  But when these privileges are abused and taken away, seniors are– perhaps understandably– going to be upset about it.

Last year, one of the most popular senior privileges was the right to leave class five minutes before the bell rang at the end of the day.  This allowed seniors to beat the traffic from buses and underclassmen and was particularly helpful for seniors who have jobs to get to after school, as the after-school traffic can sometimes be backed up for 15 minutes.  But in a blow to 2015 seniors, this long-time privilege was taken away.

“This privilege had many advantages.  It was especially nice for athletes to be able to get into the locker room and get ready for practice without having to rush and made it less crowded for seniors who used the privilege appropriately.  It was a shame that it was taken from us,” said senior Leslie Walters.

When principal James Barlow revealed that this privilege was no longer available during the senior assembly, it sent the class into an uproar.   Mr. Barlow said that some teachers had also been allowing underclassmen out of class early last year, which caused too much commotion in the halls.  To make up the loss of the privilege to seniors, he said he was willing to let them brainstorm new privileges and present him with suggestions.  With the recent election of class officers, new privileges may be soon to come.

Meanwhile, seniors are also very upset about a privilege that is being abused by underclassmen this year—namely, parking.  Seniors receive special parking passes that allow them to park in the “Seniors only” section of the parking lot (the first four rows nearest the school).  This is known as the “senior parking lot.”  But juniors have also been parking in this area, not only irritating seniors, but also reducing available spaces.  “Seniors already don’t have a lot of privileges as it is now so I find it annoying how the underclassmen have the urge to park in the senior lot,” said senior Malika Hill.

Many seniors have taken to Twitter to complain about the situation, causing tensions to rise.  There has even been talk about Saran Wrapping the juniors’ cars, although that has not been acted upon.  “We suggest that if there are any students who continuously park in the senior parking area that a description of the car be given to Officer Shiflett and we will speak with that student. But please do not take these matters into your own hands,” said Vice Principal Jason Lee.

Clearly, privileges are a very sensitive topic for seniors.  The only three privileges left are the senior lounge, eating lunch outside, and leaving for lunch two minutes early.  Disgruntled seniors should consider brainstorming privileges to propose to Mr. Barlow.  In the meantime, seniors should put aside their lack of privileges and enjoy this last year of being the top dogs before the future creeps up on them and they’re picking up that diploma.