There is nothing like the anticipation of becoming a senior. Senior sunrise, prom, spring break, all night party, the list goes on of opportunities only enjoyed by the graduating class of students. These events provide fun chances for seniors to bond and come together to enjoy their final year of high school. Among these unique opportunities, one of the most looked forward to is Senior Superlatives.
Sanctioned by the yearbook committee, senior superlatives are a chance for seniors to recognize certain qualities or features of students within their grade through a voting system. A google form is sent out listing categories like “class clown” or “best dressed,” and students respond with the name of their peer they believe best fits the category. The votes are then counted and the students with the most tallies win the category and have their picture and superlative printed in the yearbook. But with every year of voting many students question, are superlatives a fair and agreeable representation of students?
When it comes to any sort of voting the key factor is popularity. Whether it’s presidential candidates in an election, business proposals in a meeting, or even restaurants when deciding where to eat with your friends, the winner comes down to popularity amongst the voters. So shouldn’t the same be said for senior superlatives? Many people who qualify or would be best fit for a certain superlative can be overlooked by a more popular contender who can gain more votes from a wide outreach of connections.
Many students also choose to “run” for a superlative, posting on social media and spreading the word that they want to win a certain category. This can oftentimes take the focus away from a more deserving candidate, just because they didn’t advocate as much for themselves. The most worthy student for each superlative should be the one that first comes to your mind, not the person that has had to advocate to try to win votes.
When done fairly however, senior superlatives are a great way to recognize achievements and character throughout the class’ four years of high school. Most superlatives are flattering to receive, as they are normally complementary and show that you have left a mark on your graduating class. Whether it’s a striking physical feature or a prominent personality trait, being voted for a superlative is a great tribute to memorable students and a tradition that should be continued for the next classes of seniors. In years to come, students can look back on their high school yearbook and remember these outstanding characters and the good times that came from them.