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Onalaska High School is ringing with talk of graduation and college. In the senior hallway, a calendar has the dates of graduation parties, and the countdown to the last day of school is on.

Senioritis, that all too common affliction that shows up during the spring of the year, has come back with a vengeance. It is a whole different atmosphere than at the beginning of the year. Students who were once diligently filling out college applications, retaking college entrance exams for that ideal score, and studying religiously are now on a mental and sometimes physical hiatus from school.

Grades are slipping and attendance is dwindling among seniors who seem to be distracted by graduation in their foreseeable future. With college admission letters already mailed and scholarships applied for, many seniors feel that they can simply coast their way through the rest of the year.

Seniors don’t think that failing a class can result in a loss of a scholarship, a rescinded college admissions contract, or even make them a super senior (a senior who’s failing grades result in them taking more than four years to finish their diploma).

And then there are the parties. Many seniors choose to, in keeping with their celebratory, let-yourself-go attitude, throw a huge party, but sometimes the senior party attitude goes too far. When seniors begin to feel too comfortable, like they have already accomplished everything and are invincible, they make reckless decisions.

There are prom night babies, and drinking parties. Let us not forget the talk show stories of parents who have to accept diplomas on behalf of their deceased children. Let us also be reminded of our own Onalaska alumni who died during graduation summer, mistakes and lives lost marked by trees in the school yard.

Few are immune when senioritis strikes. That honors student who turns in their literature paper half a quarter late is likely suffering from it. Those students who are missing from your first hour class every day are definitely suffering from it, and your columnist who is typing this article just might be suffering from a tinge of it too.

It is hard to focus when your mind is on what lies ahead. Excitement takes hold. Seniors are ready to move on in their lives, and high school becomes a mere detour en route to a bigger and better future.

Numerous times when I find things in school to be trite or disconcerting I find myself saying, “how much longer ‘till graduation.” Seniors begin to shut down their last quarter of high school because in their mind they are already college coeds.

Get seniors together they will rarely talk about their classes or co-curriculars; the hot topic is where are you going to school and what are you majoring in. When our graduation packets were delivered, who would’ve thought that a black or purple piece of polyester could spark such a feeling of anticipation for graduation?

And when the valedictorian has been heard saying that they are excited for the last day of school, it is obvious that senioritis has set in.

Seniors are excited for the future, but it is important that we don’t do anything that we will later regret. Finishing strong is just as important as having a fun finish to high school.

Jerad McHenry is a senior at Onalaska High School.