By- Ayden Rycenga

High school lasts for 4 years; 48 months; 1440 days. Freshmen year is all about firsts for everything. For example, first dance, first football game, first club, etc… Sophomore year is the year when everything settles into place. People start getting used to the high school environment and the diversity amongst students. Junior year is the year when everything gets a little harder and everything starts picking up speed: AP classes, SAT’s, and actually having to think about the future. Senior year is the year of lasts. For example: Last football game, last dance, last assembly, etc. This is the year when everything counts. Taking time to reflect on our lives in high school. Maybe that includes shedding some tears. However, some people don’t have much to look back on. Wouldn’t it be more worthwhile have something that makes saying goodbye so hard?

There are a number of ways to get involved at GHS. Often times, people don’t know where to sign up or when meetings are. Mrs. Koza, leader of Women’s Activity Leadership Club and the Be Nice Committee says, “A great place to start is by checking out the clubs/groups page on the GHS website.  It lists everything GHS sponsors, when it meets and who to contact.  The announcements are also a great source for valuable, upcoming opportunities for involvement!” It’s hard to miss out on GHS events and clubs. Senior Executive Board president, Sam Slager says,“There’s really so many clubs and events that go on, it’s just about getting over that first step of leaving your comfort zone.” However, once that part is over, the rest comes easier. There’s numerous resources. All it takes is a minute to get in touch with a leader or head to the clubs/groups website!

The reasoning behind people not getting involved is unclear. Everyone has their reasons, but reasons are simply just excuses. “What stops me from getting involved is the effort and gas money for away games,” says senior Amber Welch.To avoid spending money she could simply just carpool! The added effort, dressing up, can also be avoided if you just get your stuff together the night before. A lot of the times, people use “senioritis” as an excuse. “Senioritis is what holds seniors back from getting involved. Nobody realizes how good things are until they’re over,” says Student Council President Abigail Hunt. The precise definition of senioritis is: a supposed affliction of students in their final year of high school or college, characterized by a decline in motivation or performance. This is indeed an existing state. Seniors often lose motivation in their class, which often leads to a loss of motivation in getting involved. There’s also a sense of embarrassment and insecurity. Of course, people are scared of what others might think. “Maybe students don’t feel like it’s cool to go to events or maybe people don’t know about it,” states Senior Mileyka Ballard. Students live with the constant fear of not fitting in or being an outcast. What if that fear was actually turned into participating in school activities instead of staying home?

Looking back, is there going to be regret? After meeting with teachers and staff from GHS, I discovered that lack of involvement is a common regret. “My Biggest Regret of senior year is not getting involved in more things than I should’ve or not going to things because I thought they were stupid or silly,” says principal Mr. Lancto. Mrs. Weist, the senior executive board advisor says something similar. “I think overall my regret was just not being more involved and giving people more of a chance. I was really  hard on myself and thus in turn on others.” I think it is safe to say that not getting involved can be a regretful decision in the long run. 

Along with getting involved, being a senior means taking on responsibility and leadership qualities. The underclassmen in the school are all looking for role models. There was a time when seniors could roam the halls and blend in with the crowds, but now, they are the ones who stand out in the crowd. Principal Lancto states, “I want seniors to look at themselves as leaders of the building, And with that, comes a lot of responsibility.” What will seniors make of their last year of high school?