Privilege is not always guaranteed!

Jaide Hinds-Clarke, Staff Writer

As Benjamin Parker says, “with great power comes great responsibility”. Many seniors from Westwood Regional Jr./Sr. High School are finding this statement to be true, as they are quickly learning that senior privileges are teaching them that they have to be responsible with money and time management.

By the time senior year rolls around, seniors come to expect certain “privileges” or certain advantages over the rest of the school population. “Senior privileges seem great until you take out your wallet and it feels as though it is always empty,” says senior Nico Flores.

Senior privileges allow you to leave the school at any time of the day, in which they do not have class. Leaving the building only occurs during study hall and lunch. Seniors from Westwood Regional High School generate a lot of business for the local stores on Pascack Road. “They say America runs on Dunkin, but it seems as though Dunkin runs on seniors” says Jennifer Hinds-Clarke, “because my child’s bank statement mainly consists of food, gas, and Dunkin Donuts.”

Prior to having senior privileges, students received lunch money from their parents via cash or through the school’s online credit system. When students would run out of lunch money and simply ask their parents to put more on their account. “Now that my sister and I are seniors with jobs, my parents expect us to pay for our own lunch when we go off campus,” says Sophia Scholes.

Senior Kathleen Hanna says, “I would advise the next senior student to each create a budget that includes food, extracurricular activities, gas, as well as their other expenses”. The purpose of creating a budget allows students to ration and keep track of where their money is going.

Many students who have study hall, often leave school to go out to eat, whereas other take the opportunity to go home. Senior privileges can be used for students benefit – to get work done. “During study hall I go home to either take a nap or do homework. It’s refreshing to just get out of school for an hour,” says senior Riley Flynn. Depending on the student’s course load and extracurriculars, seniors can use study halls to complete work that they may not have time to do after school.

Your privileges can be taken away if you get in trouble. Letting grades slip, cutting class, parking in prohibited locations, are all ways that senior privileges can be revoked. Seniors remember, they are senior PRIVILEGES, NOT SENIOR OBLIGATIONS. They can and will be taken away if you do not choose to abide by the rules.