We should all skip school. All of the seniors, anyway. It’s a storied part of our pop culture, guest-starring in everything from music (see Mac Miller’s Senior Skip Day) to movies (I’d make the argument that Ferris Bueller’s Day Off qualifies). Senior Skip Day is a senior tradition…pretty much everywhere besides Benilde-St. Margaret’s. Yet while many dismiss Senior Skip Day as school-sanctioned shenanigans, its true value is far more important.

Before I get into the merits of Senior Skip Day, it’s important to recognize that BSM does give seniors the week off before graduation, and the school year ends earlier for seniors than for the rest of the high school. This time, as well as the senior attendance requirements to be able to skip their finals, are likely why BSM hasn’t had an official Senior Skip Day in the past. With that said, however, I believe the extra time off seniors get is directly proportional to how early the school year starts—and especially in the absence of a senior prank or other senior traditions, Senior Skip Day is still vital.

One of the most important qualities for a graduating class is unity—not only does it enhance the high school experience, especially for seniors, but it contributes to a positive school culture and creates friendships that otherwise may not have developed. Although BSM has a variety of important senior-led traditions that bring us together as a class, such as senior overalls, most of those traditions are concentrated at the beginning of the year, leaving the last few months relatively devoid of senior-led activities.

Senior Skip Day would fix that problem. Allowing us to have a single day to get together as a class and have fun on our own terms would not only provide a boost for weary second-semester seniors but would also give us an opportunity to recognize our upcoming graduation. To be clear, I’m not saying the spring has absolutely no senior traditions—we all enjoy the final mass, and there’s always the Baccalaureate Mass and the senior party. However, I think it’s important to differentiate between senior-led and school-led, and there is a distinct lack of senior-led activities in our final months of high school.

For many, celebrating senior year on our own terms is more impactful than the talks and small groups that characterize our retreats. Senior year is a time of independence—as a class, we are transitioning into adulthood and preparing to potentially move away for the first time. While BSM has done a good job of honoring that independence, particularly with enhanced senior privileges like leaving for free periods, they need to recognize that allowing us to independently create traditions is the other side of that same coin. Senior Skip Day is a celebration of our independence—which is exactly why it should be implemented.

From an academic context, Senior Skip Day surprisingly makes sense. The spring before graduation is full of AP tests and classes drawing to an end. For many seniors, it’s also the culmination of four years of hard work. Many of us have solidified our post-high school plans, and a lot of the pressure to be perfect has dissipated. What better way to celebrate having made it through the intense college-prep process than Senior Skip Day? Having a designated day to have fun with friends and classmates could give us something to look forward to, maybe staving off senior slide for a little while.

Ultimately, I think it’s important to recognize the many ways that BSM already honors its seniors, but I’m asking for a chance for seniors to honor ourselves, without potentially jeopardizing our academic standing or racking up too many absences. It’s time to let us celebrate ourselves and the end of high school on our own terms—through Senior Skip Day.

While BSM offers many opportunities for senior unity– the senior retreat, the senior party, senior sunrise– they are all organized by some facet of the school or its administration. Senior Skip Day is fully organized by students, for students, and that’s what sets it apart. While there’s nothing wrong with school events designed to bring us closer together, there’s a certain camaraderie associated