STOCKTON: The end is near for us seniors.  With less than 4 months left before graduation in May, there’s still plenty of things left for us to do and look forward to in our final months together.  Although the 2nd semester may mark the onset of the most acute bouts of senioritis for a lot of us—myself included—this is no time to slack off and cut class, at least as far as this quarter’s concerned.  For things like prom and Disneyland, for example, grades and attendance matter.  To be specific, eligibility to go to these events is contingent upon having no Fs and having no more than 10 unexcused tardies in this quarter. 

If you’ve applied for university, it goes without saying that maintaining high enough grades is still important.  Having a grade lower than a C is something that universities need to know about and indeed will know about.  By the end of July, applicants to the UCs will have to submit their final high school transcripts.  Likewise, CSU applicants have until July 15—with the exception of Fresno, Monterey, San Bernardino, and Sonoma (their deadlines are earlier)—to turn theirs in.  Our transcripts should be ready in June.  Speaking of universities, the UCs will begin releasing their admissions decisions (excluding early action and early decision) on March 31.  The CSUs, on the other hand, have already begun releasing their decisions.  For both university systems, admitted students must commit to a particular campus by May 1, or College Decision Day.  This is also a day where we’re expected to show pride for our new school, usually by either wearing merch or decorating your car.

We definitely can’t forget about scholarships, as there’s plenty of them to go around. Matter of fact, an almost exhaustive list of scholarships can be found on the College and Career Center’s website linked here.  Because college costs are rising and have been for decades, I bet all of us are at least somewhat eager to get a bit of free money to help us out.  Well, I’m pleased to tell you that there’s good news in that department.  A Cash4College workshop presentation will be held next month in the library on Thursday, February 22.  This is a great opportunity for students and parents to sign up for the FAFSA, since the whole point of this workshop is to walk people through the FAFSA form.  Although the national deadline for the FAFSA is on June 30, for California’s student aid—by which I really mean the CalGrant in particular—March 2 is the deadline.  I urge everyone to take advantage of the workshop precisely for this reason.  More info can be sought from Mrs. Dickson in the College and Career Center in the library.

Equally unforgettable is the question of when Senior Ditch Day is going to be, which of this moment is unknown, but I’m positive that word of its coming will break out in due time.  To admin: I can attest that there is no secret cabal conspiring to make this happen.  Without question! Now like I said above, there’s also our Disneyland trip that’s scheduled for May.  Those of us who are participating must be at the practice gym no later than 1:30 AM on May 19. Later that same day, we’ll be in Anaheim.  As for prom, USB hasn’t announced an official date for it yet, but it’s expected to take place sometime in the middle of May.  Even leaving graduation out of the equation, May is set to be a month chock-full of stuff!

Almost forgot—to all senior guys: do not forget to sign up for the Selective Service once you turn 18! It is required by federal law that we register for the Selective Service.  Failure to do so will either result in a hefty six-figure fine, jail time, or both.  Now, there is a period of 6 years in which the Selective Service will accept late registrations, but getting it over with is always better than putting off, especially when going to jail is a likely consequence. 

As of writing this article, diplomas will be ordered in a couple of weeks.  By April, we’ll have our caps and gown.  Before you know it, it’ll be finals week.  However, instead of having to go through the slog of exams as we’ve done for the past 3 years, we’ll be rehearsing for our graduation ceremony on May 30.  Each one of us will have 8 tickets to give to family and friends to attend.  The school is also barring those without a ticket from entering, so please be wise about to whom you give your tickets.  2 weeks after graduation, our diplomas—not the red sleeves but the actual certificates bearing our names—will be ready to be picked up at the Student Service Center.  After that, it’s a wrap!