Dear Torch,

I’m writing this because I wanted to acknowledge and respond to the editorial sent out last month regarding seniors and leadership responsibilities. While I agree with your argument in some aspects, I do feel parts of the article were taken a bit too far, with my biggest concern being that you set expectations some seniors never had the intention or ability to live up to.

The truth is, despite being told senior year is the “best” year where we become our “greatest selves,” there is still no course out there on how to become such a 2.0 version. We only know how to be who we are, and who we are does not change over the course of one summer or one birthday. I think that’s something we have failed to realize as a society, that age is not automatically equivalent to leadership or success. Because just like anyone else, seniors let people down. Whether it’s showing up late to class, failing to donate soup cans, or lacking in green and gold spirit, there are endless ways seniors, or people — because we are still people — can be disappointing. But what I want to say, and what I hope might come across in this letter, is that disappointment is not all we are.

Because when I look around, I mean really look, I notice people that are trying to do better everyday: classmates winning Class Act for helping their peers, students planning mental health forums to better the community, seniors carting around sugar feasts for freshmen in Peer Group. It’s those same people that may have forgotten to bring soup cans to the drive, but still put forth effort in ways we did not recognize. Perhaps because it was less obvious, or perhaps because we weren’t even looking for their successes.

In the editorial, you solely gave reasons why current seniors are not a success. While there is some validity to this claim, I also want there to be a message to all rising seniors out there that they are enough. They can strive to be more, but they shouldn’t always have to be “the best.”

After all, bringing soup cans to a charity drive is not a lot to ask, and in fact, should be encouraged, but asking a grade to win for the sake of “leading the community” might be the wrong way to go. I’ll be the first to stand up and say I forgot to bring cans to the drive, but the last few months I have found ways to better this Spartan community even if no one has noticed. There is strength in leading without being asked. There is strength in admitting you are not the 2.0 version everyone expects, but that you are still trying. So to all those who fear these impending leadership expectations, just know, that even when no one says it, we appreciate what you do. Keep doing it.

Sincerely,

Samantha Lasky