Dear Seniors,

It’s the end of the year and your high school career is coming to an end. All that is left are finals and graduation, and two days later, most of you will flock to the beach for senior week. After your last year of high school is finally over, you’ll want to have a good time with your friends and vacation away from your hometown. Senior week, however, can go very wrong very quickly. Houses full of teenagers and no adults are a recipe for disaster, but this impending doom can easily be avoided if you do not make stupid decisions.

Just because you have graduated high school and are going on a vacation with friends and no parents does not give you an excuse to go crazy at senior week. By doing this, you are putting too much in jeopardy. First, you could get kicked out of your house, the house you paid money to stay in for the week. Pay attention to the rules of the house, such as the occupancy limit, and if you simply follow them, everything will be fine. Keep in mind that people own these houses, and the last people they want in them are teenagers, so have some respect for the property you are renting and its owner.

You could also put your future in jeopardy. Many of you just committed to a college and are preparing for life after high school, but if you make careless decisions during senior week, they could make all the hard work of applying, being accepted, and committing to college a complete waste. Beach cities often bring in extra officers during senior week because of the plethora of teens who have just graduated and have this sense of freedom. If officers catch you doing anything illegal, it will go on your permanent record, putting a stain on your resume and causing colleges to see you in a different way. It is not uncommon for students to lose scholarships because of senior week.

Doing anything illegal during senior week will always put you and others at risk in many ways. While losing scholarships or even having your acceptance revoked are major concerns to have in mind, there are many other non-academic risks. For example, underage drinking could put you in danger of losing your driver’s license or something as severe as a car crash leading to a severe injury or even death. Always consider the risks and do not make mindless decisions. It’s simple. Do not do anything that you think you might regret.

You can still have fun during senior week if you are responsible. Putting yourself and others in jeopardy by making a decision to do something illegal is just selfish. Have respect for yourself and others at senior week and have fun.

Sincerely,

Veronica Laguna