For many of us, our senior year is something that we have anxiously awaited ever since we first stepped foot in Hillsborough High School. We have always admired the seniors with their carefree spirit, passionate ambition, and their eagerness to find their place in this world. We have watched as they celebrated their college commitments, played their heart out during their senior night games, and even as they’ve cried and rushed to the gym floor after their final spirit night dance. The Class of 2021 remembers these profound moments with heavy hearts, as our chances of ever being able to truly celebrate our senior year slowly diminish.

When the news about the senior quotes was released, our class was understandably devastated. Who knew that the freedom and privilege to write a simple quote could be so meaningful to a class of 17 and 18 year-old students? The reality is that senior quotes have been around for generations. Their prized and sentimental value has survived the test of time, as our grandparents, parents, teachers, and world leaders have each written their own, unique quote. When used correctly, senior quotes embody our morals, express our gratitude, and commemorate our four years of hard work.

With that being said, I understand the pain and difficulties that senior quotes have provoked throughout the years. I recognize that they could potentially violate school conduct or offend our community. Moreover, I understand that they take hours and hours of investigating to even be approved. However, I do believe that, if used correctly, the senior quote’s benefits outweigh these difficulties. 

Rather than conforming to the strict outlines of the Senior Superlatives & Shout Outs idea, I believe that we should be given the opportunity to prove ourselves responsible enough to write a quote, with a few important guidelines. 

I believe that there should be no ambiguous entries, like group names or initials. This would prevent the publication of anything secretive and potentially harmful to other students. However, I believe that we should still be allowed to draft our own comical or sentimental quote, or select a school-appropriate and meaningful quote from the Internet. We could ensure that each quote is school-appropriate by requiring each student to write a paragraph both explaining the meaning of his or her quote and explaining why it should be allowed in the yearbook. Perhaps this would expedite the investigation process for teachers, while also ensuring that students keep their quotes appropriate. 

I suggest that we at least give this method a try, and that we enstate a certain amount of time that it should take. For example, if the process takes longer than x amount of time, then the teachers should be allowed to reject the quote entry. All in all, I think it is only fair that we are given the opportunity to prove ourselves mature enough to handle the task at hand. 

Moreover, I think we could improve the investigation process by inviting parental volunteers to help. I know many adults who would be more than willing to help examine the quotes in order to please their sons and daughters.

At the end of the day, the Class of 2021 will end their senior year without ever experiencing many typical milestones. We will never attend Raider football games with our classmates, our last homecoming dance, and we risk not having prom, spirit night, or an in-person graduation. I believe that it is only fair to give us the opportunity to prove ourselves mature enough to draft a simple 140-character quote.