Everything You Need to Know about Senior Privileges

Le Anh Metzger, Staff Writer|November 22, 2021

Senior Season is upon us as the Class of 2022 enjoy their senior privileges.

With privileges, a door opens to a plethora of fun perks for the oldest students on campus. They can wear college sweatshirts to school. They can leave campus during their free blocks and lunch. They can sleep in if they have a free block first and leave early if they have one last.

Senior privileges mark the celebration of students’ last year at Mayfield and are particularly exciting since Mayfield is finally back on campus. Confused? Here are some answers to FAQs to set the record straight.

How do seniors earn their privileges? Is it difficult to obtain them?

“The difficulty of obtaining the senior privileges depends on the individual,” said Senior Class President, Avalon Dela Rosa ’22. “Some had theirs completed early on in the process whereas with others, I needed to track down the day they were due.”

Students must do the following to obtain their privileges:

Fulfill yearbook requirements
Get a transcript authorization form signed
Get a grad dress form signed
Select their senior portrait
Finish their junior questionnaire
Get a permission slip signed to be able to leave campus

Should it be easier to get senior privileges, or should they come later?

Despite the rewards, senior privileges aren’t always easy to achieve.

“I think senior privileges are a good incentive to turn things in that we need to do as seniors. If we didn’t have the pressure of that, we would probably still be missing things,” Taylor Carey ’22 said. “I think we maybe could have started on the requirements earlier, even in the summer, so that we could have senior privileges more from the start of the year.”

Michelle Cheng ’22, thought the prerequisites were reasonable, and found it frustrating waiting for classmates to submit them. “It’s great to get things out of the way but I think the timing of it being with our college apps is difficult to manage,” Cheng said.

What are others’ thoughts on senior privileges?

“I think certain privileges like leaving during free blocks and getting to school late for morning free blocks should be extended to Juniors who are able to drive,’ Citlali Ayala-Martinez ’23 said, “but other privileges like wearing college sweatshirts should be only for seniors since it’s their last year at Mayfield.”

Teachers, like English teacher Krista Ellis, have less of an opinion.

“I don’t think [senior privileges have] any impact on productivity– certainly not the college sweatshirts,” Ellis said. “I think being able to leave campus for lunch is nice… I think sometimes leaving campus can be helpful to clear your mind.”

Even if you don’t drive, senior privileges are enjoyable.

“It’s not that bad,” Sofie Lim ’22 said. “If my friends are going somewhere during our free block I’ll go with them, or I’ll ask a friend to bring me back something or they will offer.”

Added Emma Graybill ’22, “I’m fortunate because my mom is usually able to pick me up early if I have a free last period so I get to enjoy my privileges then,” said Graybill. “I also get to enjoy wearing college sweatshirts which has been a lot of fun to participate in.”