Before the New Year’s ball had dropped, the halls of Staples were defined by a different atmosphere. The word “Common App” was typical vernacular. You could smell the sweating, stressing students as they stumbled across from class to class. It seemed as though there was some sort of cosmic imbalance.
But, when the halls filled for the first time in 2014, something had changed. It was as if all was right again. It was a new semester; new senior class.
Senioritis has hit Staples. And I can hear the moans and groans of the underclassmen already. But I ask you one simple question.
And…?
You might find this laziness repulsive and negative, but, as the great philosopher Lao Tzu once said, “Practice not-doing and everything will fall into place.” The cosmic balance has been restored.
I mean, why focus on the negatives? These new seniors are beacons of sunshine!
They’re like TGI Fridays’ waiters; they are just unnecessarily happy. These days, I’m getting high fives from people I would have never dreamed of getting. They make jokes in classes. They aren’t focused on what clubs to join or which days are best for all-nighters. They are bound by one universal question: Why complete that three-page research paper when Ghostbusters 2 is cued up and ready for viewing pleasure on Netflix?
And on a Wednesday night. That is gangster.
Most wonderfully, that laziness is beneficial, but not infectious. The seniors that once prized their B plus papers are now chucking them in the blue bin. Grades may not be important to them, but here’s the chance for us, the underrated juniors, to gain some confidence. Now, my B’s in AP Euro are no longer cracks in shattered dreams, but badges of honor. The class average may be down, but not my spirits; that’s for sure.
As the great Phil Dunphy of “Modern Family” once said, “You’ll find yourself achieving your wildest dreams if you lower your expectations.
So let’s not break out the hazmat suits and treat Senioritis like a plague. It’s an event. It’s a time to bask in the warm luminescence of the senior smiles. Stop casting a rain cloud on the situation, and, for the love of God, just let the sunshine in.
