Regina’s Ring Day Ceremony had just concluded, leaving the seniors and their families slightly clammy from the auditorium’s toasty temperature, but proud and blessed nonetheless. The day off proved to be helpful for those finishing up the Common App, or those just beginning to start it. But with senioritis starting to take hold, seniors decided that another day off would be beneficial for their health. And so, they got together and dubbed the next day, October 8, as an “unofficial official” Mental Health Day.

To the faculty’s surprise, only seven seniors showed up to school the next day, as the Mental Health Day wasn’t mandatory. I was one of the seven seniors whom endured the school day. I saw firsthand how empty the classrooms were and what exactly the teachers were feeling in regards to this spontaneous sick day. Let’s just say, many were not pleased.

With most classes virtually empty, teachers had to put a pause on lessons, work, and even tests. This was especially problematic for them because classes were already behind on their teaching. Ms. Gianos explained during advisory on that Friday that “taking part in Senior Skip Day was the worst thing you could do for the first quarter.” Otherwise, Ms.Gianos is generally in favor of senior events.

With others seeing this as an excuse for seniors to ditch school for a day, others saw it as necessary, especially with the controversial opinions surrounding the current schedule and grading system. On top of that, seniors are being flooded with projects, busy work, and the crippling pressure of college applications. Catherine Patti ‘22 said,” I attended a preplanned college visit that day ,so it was nice to be able to take a break from all of the schoolwork and focus on colleges.”

The rest of the Seniors took it upon themselves to get the break they very much needed. Alleviating anxiety and stress from students should be the top priority among high schools, but it always falls second. How are students supposed to wake up early every morning and function if they have so much weighing them down? Stress is nothing new to Regina girls, but everyone has their limits.

As expected, there were still many mixed emotions regarding the original intended purpose of this day. It was referred to as the classic “Senior Skip Day” by others and was scrutinized as such. But Senior Skip Day or not, it was necessary for the well-being of these students. If the faculty wasn’t going to give them a breather, then they were just going to take it upon themselves instead.