With the hallways absent of seniors and the classrooms devoid of all academia, the juniors prepare themselves for their final year.

Many anticipate the off-campus privileges, authority over underclassmen and designated restrooms.

?While I am senior, I plan to rule over all the freshmen and abuse my seniority,? Bill Cowin, ?08, said. ?I?m excited about off-campus lunch because it is a symbol of your status, and I can eat anything I want.?

For the last week of school, the juniors had the opportunity to receive off-campus lunch passes.

?I am starting to feel like a senior now because the seniors are not in the building anymore,? Nova Konstantia, ?08, said. ?However, truly being a senior is only a few months away. So for now, I can just pretend to be a senior.?

Andrea Khouzam, ’08, agrees with Konstantia and believes leaving campus helps her relax.

“I love having all the freedoms of a senior, like going off campus for lunch,” Khouzam said. “I’ve heard so much about senior year being the best and I’m looking forward to experiencing it myself.”

Before juniors can enjoy the privileges of being seniors, they must pass the checkpoint: finals.

?I don?t feel like a senior right now because there is still an important part of the year left, finals,? Daniele Wilborn, ?08, said. ?It is hard to think of next year now because there is still so much to do now.?

Even with the advantages of being a senior, the last year of high school brings additional challenges as the new seniors try to balance college applications with the stress of homework.

?Senior year is the last year of being a kid before having to enter into the adult years,? Rachel Balint, ?08, said. ?It also means we have authority over all the classes.?

Near the end of the year, the seniors take a trip to celebrate their accomplishment of getting through high school.

?I?m really looking forward to the senior trip; it?s going to be a really great bonding experience,? Cowin said. ?I want to complete my senior year like Nichole Boothroyd because she succeeded academically and had fun through it all.?

Despite their advancement, many juniors look back at the year with satisfaction beginning with a victorious 2006 homecoming float and an award for Best Soundtrack at Night of the Stars.

?My favorite moment as a junior was winning the float competition,? Carson Hopper, ?08, said. ?I helped build the waterfall which rained victoriously from the sky.?

The lessons that the seniors learn prepare them for the obstacles that await them in college.

?Seniors should be prepared for life on their own because after high school, that?s how it would most likely be,? Wilborn said. ?They should know more than they did as freshmen and be a positive example to underclassmen.?

For more information check out the Fun and Photos, ‘Finally Seniors’!