Senior assassin, senior quad, senior sunrise, senior class Halloween costumes, senior ditch day and senior sports nights are all treasured Menlo traditions, meant to bring together senior classes in their final year of high school. But let me add one more unspoken and recently — but unjustly — deemed controversial one to the list: senior cheating in spirit activities.
In the past, senior cheating has been more frequent and more blatant than it is now because the administration has cracked down on seniors rigging spirit competitions. However, the extent to which seniors cheat is still considered unjust by students and faculty alike.
As I sit in the junior-designated section of the bleachers during spirit assemblies, I constantly hear the mumbled complaints from my grade and the younger grades to my left about how the seniors never play fair when it comes to participating in spirit competitions. Amid these complaints, I hear students arguing that there’s no point in participating at all if the seniors are guaranteed the win.
But guys, you need to remember — it’s not that serious. Spirit activities are meant to be celebrations of our school spirit, not Olympic-level competitions with high stakes. So before we non-seniors start ranting about how cheating compromises the integrity of Menlo students and teaches them bad habits, remember that at the end of the day, it’s harmless fun. It’s just not that deep.
After enduring the bottom of the Menlo totem pole my freshman year, surviving the inevitable sophomore slump and withstanding the high-pressure environment of junior year, seniors deserve to simply have fun in their last year of high school.
I know that when I’m a senior, I will want the chance to carry on all senior traditions — and that includes winning spirit competitions and celebrating with my grade — before starting the freshman to senior cycle all over again when I head off to college. It’s something I’ve looked forward to since I saw the seniors celebrate their first spirit activity victory in my freshman year at Menlo, and I’ve been paying my dues to get there.
Now, I understand the frustration when watching the seniors race down to the court and start moshing after a spirit activity victory they only mildly deserved. But winning promotes spirit, excitement and bonding throughout the senior class, and a bonded senior class encourages other grades to do the same, which is good for Menlo as a whole.
Despite its possible ethical concerns, we can’t deny that senior cheating in spirit activities is a tradition at Menlo, and traditions bring schools together. So for the seniors and for all of us, it’s important that we keep an open mind when the strategic rule-bending occurs and be patient while we wait for our turn in the senior spotlight, something that will come eventually — no matter how far away it seems.
