The Senior Deck, a sacred perch upon which 12th-grade students lounge during brunch and lunch, is the source of a curious controversy.

“It’s only seniors who have sat there [on the deck] for lunch, and generally underclassmen aren’t allowed,” said senior Sophie Hein.

While the tradition’s inception is unknown, deck-goers like Hein attest to its existence. “It’s a tradition, and for 3 years before we could sit there, we sat down in the quad,” said Hein. “[We] saw all the seniors . . . and [wanted] to sit there, too.”

Hein thinks this year’s freshmen, sophomores and juniors should respect the campus hierarchy and avoid the deck. “We [seniors] want the underclassmen to do the same thing we did,” she said.

Freshmen Kira Jamgotchian agreed. “I am excited to go on the senior deck when I’m a senior, but for the time being, it [the senior deck] is not something that I am concerned about,” she said.

At Freshman Orientation in August, leadership presented a video which implied there would be punishment for underclassmen who attempted to use the deck. The video claimed that violators of the “senior only” policy would be thrown into trash cans and rolled down the deck’s adjacent hillside.

“We wouldn’t actually throw or kick anyone off,” Hein said. “It was just kind of to discourage people.”

Freshmen are well aware of the expectations surrounding the deck. “It is an unspoken rule not to go on it,” said freshman Nicole Kennedy.

While the consequences depicted in the video are likely false, the deck tradition does highlight a disparity in campus privileges; seniors enjoy many privileges underclassmen don’t: the easily accessible senior parking lot also among them.

“It’s a kind of ‘wait your turn’ kind of thing,” Hein explained.