Senior Ditch Day
by: Kaylynn O'Curran
This article you’re reading is a couple day lates. While the underclassman were busy sitting in classrooms, reading last minute novels for AP Lang or finishing up debate projects in Psych, the seniors were dipping out. As a senior, I was among the six hundred others who participated in this infamous day. Some of these seniors went to the classic pool party while others went to theme parks or LA. While this is something seniors partake in without question (any excuse to ditch is a good excuse), where did this tradition come from?
Although the actual beginning has not been decided on, it is believed to have started sometime in the 1970s. With immense influence from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, seniors have been skipping for a long time, our parents included. The premise of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (for those uncultured people who haven’t seen it) is a senior who fakes being sick in order to take a day off and his principal suspects he is lying, vowing to prove him a liar. This is similar to most seniors on ditch day, minus Mr. Killeen chasing after all of us, in the sense that seniors do pretend to be sick. This is questionable as its called ditch day, not call-out-sick day. Is it really fair if a senior has their parent call them out sick? I don’t know but I know that I actually ditched.
Senior ditch day is tradition for every senior class however every year the teachers find out. Some plan for easy days while other teachers plan for 200 point quizzes where all you need to do is write your name. Many seniors have different opinions on it but the majority find it annoying and petty as it usually puts a large bump in their day plans. Regardless, senior ditch day is always a fun day, regardless of where the day takes them.