As second semester settles in and the hype of new classes and schedules subsides, seniors embark on their last few months as a Red Knight. Being a senior has many perks — which the seniors discovered throughout the first semester — but as they begin their second-semester journey, they are faced with even more privileges. From new hall pass rules to the reality of skip-a-final growing near, the senior perks are undeniable.

Hall passes can be a pain. Teachers often don’t have one readily available when students want to leave the classroom. Not to mention, the little-laminated cards are easily lost or left behind in the bathrooms and lockers. The seniors now have the ability to use their student ID’s instead of the hall passes.

Another privilege given to second semester seniors is the ability to go outside during their BSM hour. Since the month of May is when this perk will be fulfilled, this privilege may seem irrelevant and unnecessary at the moment. However, past seniors say that the privilege is worth the wait. “Honestly I wish that we were able to go outside for all four years [of high school], those few minutes outdoors really gives you a nice break in the day and refreshes your mind. Especially during finals week,” Alumni Katherine McCracken (‘18) said.

Seniors are beginning to question what parts of the outside would be on limits. There are many spots in conversation and also many being added this year. “We’re not totally sure yet but Dr. Skinner had mentioned the front entry would be on limits, and Mr. Weingartz and I have talked about the inside courtyard area with the benches, and then I’m hoping to get other picnic tables outside so seniors can eat lunch outside since they often have lunch adjacent to their BSM hour and they can have a longer time to eat and they can be outside the whole time,” Assistant Principal Cami Dahlstrom said.

Though the perk is definitely something to look forward to, there are consequences that go along with it for students who violate the rules. However, if all the rules are followed, the perk is beloved by BSM alumni and will prove to be something greatly awaited. “Students who go off campus will receive a Saturday detention right away for the first offense. For students who go off limits, for a first offense they are signed a detention, and a second offense results in a Saturday detention,” Attendance Supervisor Kathy Jacobson said referencing the student handbook.

Another highly anticipated privilege is skip-a-final. This perk is growing near with second semester already underway. Skip-a-final is an opportunity given to second-semester seniors who qualify based on grades and attendance. The requirements are as follows: If the student has a C or above in the class, no more than 4 tardies, and no unexcused absences to the class, they will qualify to skip their finals. Though this may sound odd, the goal is to encourage seniors to avoid the “senior slide” by offering them an incentive to stay active in their academics. “About 80% of seniors qualify [academically] to skip their finals but around 75% end up skipping all their finals. A lot of them may have to take one or two finals because of absences or tardies to a specific class,” Jacobson said.

Graduation is entering the minds of seniors and is growing closer by the minute. As seniors begin to look back on their high school experience, they remember all of the hard work they’ve done at BSM. The administration has rewarded the seniors for their hard work in academics by offering them perks to get them through this last stretch of high school. With their student ID’s in hand and their eyes set on skip-a-final, these veteran students embark on their last high school semester ever.