By Jaweria Shah

It’s that time of the year again! The time in which we just want the year to be over and senioritis spreads like the flu. Soon enough it’ll be time to say goodbye to school for the summer, but before that happens the freshmen, sophomores, and juniors must take their finals. In Hamden High, seniors do not have to take the final if they maintain a good grade or take an AP test for AP classes, but the rules are expected to change starting this year.

According to a reliable source, Doc plans on making finals a requirement no matter what. You think you’ve already been through enough? Well a few finals won’t do you any harm. Right? After I had been given this information I took to the halls to see what the students of Hamden High had to say about this.

First, I spoke to DJ Williams, a senior, and president of PRIDE Club who told me that seniors being forced to take the finals “Is an outrage,” also stating that they’d “sue the school.” Then I talked to Maria Shah, also a senior, and Editor in Chief of the Dial. When I asked her what she thought about having to take a final during her last year here as a student she said “I think it’s unfair because I don’t want to take finals.” Classic senioritis, I say.

But in all seriousness is taking a final crossing the line of how much stress a kid can take? Through thorough research, I calculated that 85% of seniors are taking 4 or more AP courses. And, around 70% of them said that they have at least one hour of homework per class. So supposing one is taking 4 AP courses, that’s four HOURS of homework, topped off with writing essays for college and possibly even working a job. I wonder how most kids survive. With the competitiveness of the class of 2016 each student works even harder than their predecessors because all they focus on is college and the next step of life. I’m not saying that’s wrong, since they should be only focusing on college because that will be the catalyst to their new lives as adults.

Why must that focus be distracted by a final? Why does the education system feel the need to push kids to such high levels of stress when they could just do one thing that could alleviate it? How can a senior take a final seriously when they must worry about their whole life ahead of them? I’m sure the class of 2016 and the classes after them will fight for no final their senior year, but until then, we all have to begin studying. This article will be updated if any further information is found on this issue.

UPDATE: APRIL FOOLS