The return of senior privileges! The class of 2025 has earned the privilege to leave campus for lunch. Senior privileges has been a long-standing tradition at Charlottesville High School, as students gained freedom after three years of gaining respect and trust from the administration. Following the pandemic, the ability to leave school for lunch was taken away. Additionally, after the 2021-22 school year, the senior courtyard by the garden was taken away due to concerns about supervision.
From the beginning of Dr. Malone’s time as the principal of CHS, he told the senior class he would bring back senior privileges. He stuck to his word and made senior privileges a reality at the beginning of the second quarter.
How do seniors gain the freedom to leave for their lunch? All students need to be in both good academic and behavioral standing. First, students and their families need to fill out the “Senior Lunch Application” in which students agree to follow the conditions and parents approve for their child to leave. This form can be submitted to Ms.Scott in the front office or to Mr. Bennett, the 2025 cohort principal. Once the administration approves the pass, the student will receive a Student Square message and can pick up the physical pass from the front desk when they leave the school for the first time.
There are rules that students must follow when they leave to maintain their privilege. Students have late strikes before they lose their pass altogether. Students can only take one other student in their car. In a recent update from Mr. Bennett, students who get their phones taken away will not be permitted to leave the school on that day. If they get their phone confiscated for a second time, they will lose the privilege for the remainder of the quarter.
Out of the over 40 senior students we surveyed, almost 74% have gained the privilege of leaving campus during their lunch. Senior Mason Divers said, “My favorite part of senior lunch is having the option to go with someone else to go eat somewhere.” A lot of seniors enjoy the time off campus, with Andrew Cullinan stating he enjoys the ability to “Get fresh air and [reset] the day.” Students have been taking the opportunity to get food at various fast food chains, go home, or even enjoy time in the parking lot with their friends.
The only issue that has arisen for seniors since the start of senior lunch is how short lunches are. Students only have 25 minutes to leave the building and return if they wish to remain in good standing. Senior Ben Clark suggested, “Make it so that we can have the time in between transitions instead of making it so that you get a strike if you’re back [even] during the transition.”
Out of the students surveyed who have yet to receive a pass, 75% of them intend to get a lunch release in the future. Those who intend to forgo these privileges and stay for lunch for reasons ranging from there not being enough time to truly go anywhere to lacking a ride.
Overall, the class of 2025 is grateful to have the privilege to leave school in the middle of the day. The hope is they will treat it as one and set a good precedent for future classes.
