Senior Card - High School - Karma?

Having regaled you with tales of how my English class tormented our somewhat-ready-for-retirement English teacher I thought perhaps I’d share another little tidbit. Once again, just for the record, what we did to her was terrible, and for any teachers out there in readership land, please know that I did not share those stories because I was proud of them.

Having said that, I’d like to return to my years of high school and share with you a smidgen of hindsight.

I graduated in 1971 and in those days, high school was strictly 10th, 11th, and 12th grade. The school was pretty big, both population and size wise. There were some innovative thinkers within the faculty, school board and others who had a vote.

There were several elective classes available; some of which included attending pop concerts, art shows, theater productions, and even architectural walks ... all during school hours. That was really cool.

In those days the pop concerts weren’t costly at all ... and they were also rather innocuous. Today, of course, the admittance costs are expensive and attendees must ignore smoking, drugs and alcohol activities. Not so back then.

I attended concerts by the Beach Boys, Sonny and Cher, Blood, Sweat and Tears, the Doors, and a myriad of others. Tickets were reasonable and a critique of the concert earned me an ‘A’. Those were the days.

We would take walking tours of the historical areas of Norfolk, VA ... taking notes on the architecture, and again writing a critique on what we observed. I learned more about architecture through those walking tours than through any other class in high school or college.

There were some wonderful theatrical performances we attended. The College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, VA had a very talented group and showed us a wide range of performances ... even some very funny improvisations.

Yes indeedy. That high school had a set of philosophies that were before it’s time.

There was one other thing that was introduced during the beginning of my senior year that changed the way I perceived my last year in high school. Even back then students had IDs ... but that year the administration went just a little bit further.

Only seniors were given the opportunity to show some responsibility, some wisdom, some maturity. A Senior Card was introduced that allowed seniors to come and go from campus requiring only the presentation of their card and their signature.

This was the first time anything like that had been tried there, and I am sure the administration truly believed the seniors would be responsible and mature in the using of their card.

The problem was, there was no system to hold seniors accountable. We drove to school, we drove away from school. We could arrive and leave whenever we chose.

As you have probably guessed, and based on my previous behaviors, I was a senior who was not prepared for that freedom. Along with many others, I came and went as I pleased. Some weeks I only attended on Fridays. That was when I made up big tests and even turned in some work ... just enough to stay on the graduation roles. Yes, I did graduate ... tho probably not in the top ten per-cent of my class.

Can you imagine students having those freedoms today? We did not handle that responsibility well then -- and, we didn’t have the drugs and violence to deal with that today’s students must cope with. I can only speculate on the trouble that today’s students would tangle with.

I am sure there would be some students who would appreciate the freedoms that went along with a Senior Card such as we had. Those who had jobs, doctor appointments, or family emergencies would only have to show their Card, and no questions would be asked.

Just as I am sure there are those who would use it appropriately, I am equally sure there would be students who would view the Senior Card as their ticket to party.

Even though it’s been 31 years since my experience, today’s students are not that much different. Temptations abound today just as they did back then. If they can’t say no after school hours, there would be nothing to encourage them to say no during school hours.

Back then the Senior Card was a ticket to trouble, and it would be the same today. Teenagers need some freedoms ... they have to learn how to monitor their behaviors, how to say no to things that are difficult for them, but giving them a carte blanche pass out the door would not teach them life skills. Those lessons are best learned with a safety net.

Copyright, Debby Willett, All Rights, 2009-2010