A week after this school year began, for the second year in a row, the class of 2023 received their long-awaited, shiny, new 0ff-campus passes.

Students wait the traditional three years before being granted the right to leave for lunch with friends, sleep in an extra 45 minutes if they have study hall first, or leave early from school if they have study hall last. Luckily for this year’s graduating class, it isn’t their first rodeo. Although titled ‘senior privileges,’ juniors were given the same rights due to COVID restrictions. 

“[Juniors] were granted that luxury to clear up more space in the building. They will not be getting that again,” senior study hall supervisor Laurie Hektor said. 

Senior privileges are about being in the front of the bleachers at football games, looking out over the school in the upper commons, and of course, off-campus passes. These give seniors a chance to finally feel like all of their work throughout high school has paid off for something special and new. According to Hektor, there are new additions to that list this year. 

“Among many other rights, seniors are now the only ones allowed in the grind before class in the morning. They close it every morning right before class starts, to everyone with the new attendance policy, but if seniors want to go they can.” Hektor said.

 As senior Brume Ogufere put it, juniors getting off-campus passes just doesn’t make sense. “Obviously we got lucky last year, but since juniors usually can’t even park at school they aren’t able to easily leave,” Ogufere said.

But junior Alexandra Mower disagrees. “If you drive to school, you should get the option to at least leave for lunch. Lunches get super packed and if we could leave, it would reduce that.” Mower said. “I get why we don’t have them, but a choice would be nice.”

This year, with the brand-new focus on attendance, the administration is cracking down on tardiness and absence. According to junior study hall supervisor Dawn Neal, off-campus passes frequently disrupted attendance. 

“Students abused their privileges last year, for sure,” Neal said. “Often, kids would be late to class coming back from lunch-some wouldn’t come back at all.” Ogufere corroborated this with his own experience, explaining that “last year when I’d go off-campus, every time I’d be late or almost late coming back.”