By Ethan Walshe
Editor-in-Chief

There is one topic that has been on the minds of many seniors this past week: Privileges.

For the uninitiated, senior privileges are an opportunity available to seniors who have a second semester DLT and meet a number of other requirements such as being in good standing academically and with the attendance policy. These privileges allow the senior to leave the building during his or her DLT, or arrive late on a day when this DLT meets first period.

Historically, senior privileges have begun on the Monday that students return from February vacation, or one week thereafter. However, this year they will not begin until March 10, a full two weeks later.

According to Dean Michael Parent, the main reason for this change was that students had some difficulty returning to school on time during winter weather last year, so administration decided to delay the privileges slightly more into the spring season.

“There was a lot of ice involved and we had some potential fender-benders. We just wanted to get a little closer to the better weather so that we didn’t have any mishaps or any accidents. School safety was number one on that decision,” said Parent.

Senior Sam Sarkisian expressed some distress over the new policy.

“I wish [senior privileges] were earlier like in other years, because seniors on internship don’t get as much time,” said Sarkisian.

She raises a good point. The unfortunate reality of this delay is that now seniors who will embarking on internships or projects at the end of third quarter only have the opportunity to embrace senior privileges for four weeks as opposed the usual six.

But this raises a larger question: Why are privileges restricted the only the second half of the year? Surely seniors who decide to take a DLT first semester are just as much seniors as those who take one second half. It does not seem as though there is some magical transition into responsibility that occurs when a senior returns from February break.

I already find it ridiculous that privileges have been delayed from their usual starting date but the fact that WA’s seniors are already restricted in this way is also upsetting. For example, at Acton-Boxboro, students are eligible to apply for privileges beginning after the first term of their junior year, according to their student handbook.

Parent did express that the administration has discussed potentially opening senior privileges to seniors who have a DLT in either half in the future. One of the reasons that senior privileges are usually reevaluated after first semester is because it gives seniors half the year to prove they can get to school on time by driving themselves.

The entire point of senior privileges is to prepare seniors for life after high school, where they are going to encounter far more free time than they currently have during school. By delaying these privileges, WA is only hurting seniors who lack this experience.