By Annie Wen
Staff Writer
The end of senior year calls for many social events: graduation parties, final banquets and award assemblies. However the one day that is the most looked forward to is senior skip day.
Senior skip day is practiced in many schools across the United States and Canada. As the name suggests, it is a predetermined day where the senior class will “skip” school in favor of sleeping in or a class activity such as Six Flags. In some school districts, such as Coppell ISD, this day is recognized by the school, however in other schools senior skip day is not allowed and measures are taken by the school district to prevent it.
Senior sponsors Shelly Redding and Tiffany Ganss are responsible for planning and executing important senior activities, such as Prom, Project Graduation and skip day. There is no verified history of when senior skip day was started but it is a well-established tradition of sorts.
“In most school districts, seniors plan an unofficial skip day and we just feel it’s better to go ahead and have an official skip day of which we provide the opportunity for kids to go to Six Flags,” Redding said. “I’ve been the senior sponsor for 10 years and we were already doing it when I took over.”
The main concern with skip days and the number one concern of school officials is the safety of students and the activities they partake in. Alcohol consumption and reckless behavior have long been considered a concern for parents and administration as part of the senior skip day tradition.
By having the school district organize and provide skip day opportunities for students to enjoy themselves under safe conditions the overall skip day is more enjoyable for both students and adults.
“When I was in school everyone just picked their own day and would get a group of friends and go ‘OK, Friday we’re going to skip’” Redding said. “It wasn’t all official, all on one day. This is much more organized, it’s more planned. By us doing it all on the same day, if some kids choose not to go to Six Flags, they still are hanging out together. And that’s important, right here before everyone graduates that they get to hang out together for a day.”
Students that chose to go to Six Flags had a great time on the rides and were able to enjoy the park and be carefree for one day.
“I decided to go to Six Flags because I never go there and the weather is bearable this time of year,” senior Alison Zill said. “My friends and I stood in line for the [Batman ride] for an hour and a half, but the actual ride was really exciting and worth it.”
Students who opted to not go to Six Flags found their own ways to destress and used the day to spend time with their friends.
“All I really wanted to do was relax after the awards ceremony,” senior Kailey Visoski said. “A group of friends and I went to Main Street Grapevine for lunch, then to Lake Grapevine where we laid out, and then we went back to a friend’s house to swim.”
Redding believes that the tradition of senior skip day is an important one and urges the seniors to make the most of the last weeks of high school.
“Seniors should take away their friendships and memories, hopefully they’ll realize all the benefits that Coppell High School has given them and the things it has taught them,” Redding said.
