(June 16, 2006) — An epidemic sweeps through the hallways of Clark Magnet High School and crawls under doors to find its target—the seniors. The diagnosis: senioritis; the symptoms: laziness and procrastination. At an extraordinary speed, senioritis has attacked the seniors as early as the first day of school. It is observed that seniors show symptoms of senioritis quicker each year, and few even suspects that it is beginning to plague juniors as well. The cause of senioritis is simple. It is the last year of high school and much of the preparation for college is done. Constant reminders from teachers about the wrath of college are over, and working hard is the last thing on the seniors’ minds. After sending in college applications and receiving acceptance letters, seniors lose the motivation needed to accomplish the rest of the year’s work. “There is no motivation for second semester and everyone else around you slacks off,” said senior Mkrtich Ohanyan. In general, students become lazy. Their lax attitude towards homework—and in fact, any assigned work—worsens. Consequently, procrastination kicks in, and work is pushed to the last minute. Many also fail to attend school regularly. Some skip classes while others ditch the entire day, leaving truancies on their attendance records. However, not everyone blames senioritis for the seniors’ behaviors. Others believe people use it as a scapegoat for their laziness. “It’s a myth that people accept,” said teacher Fred Blattner. “It is nonsense and must be fought with every ounce.” Furthermore, senioritis can be a negative effect on seniors when they start college. The prolonged habit of procrastinating and sitting—according to teacher Charles DeVore—like “a lump on a pickle,” may be carried onto college. Students will then have to reestablish their much-needed study habits. Although senioritis does not affect everyone, it still seems to be no doubt inevitable. The vision for motivation is temporarily missing, having accomplished one of the major goals in life, which is getting into college. And that is a weakness that senioritis looks for. Then again, it is senioritis; we would find a cure, if we weren’t so lazy.