Ditch Day, a time-honored rite for Seniors, has long been controversial.

Ditch Day is when seniors retire to Santa Cruz or attend to neglected Minecraft files, while teachers maintain a front of stoic disapproval for the extra day of leisure.

According to Government/Economics teacher Thomas Renno, the Boomers field trip was originally intended to eliminate the need for Ditch Day. “When I was a student here, I was told that we couldn’t have [Ditch Day] because they’d take away our senior field trip. Therefore, no one ditched,” said Renno. However, this fear faded in the intervening years, and Ditch Day made a stealthy return as the Boomers field trip remained.

“There’s a value in you all hanging out together… As an educator, I cannot support not going to class,” declared Renno.

English teacher Tina Mayer calls the Day “a gift.” If no students show, then she simply grades papers. However, every year a few students attend class. If so, they and Mayer have “a nice Socratic Seminar. We have good discussions. Just like what you’ll have in college.” Mayer considers some of the ditching seniors as hypocrites: “What I think is funny about Ditch Day is that it implies that you’re doing something off the map, something daring. They’re ditching and having Mommy and Daddy calling you in sick. It’s such a contradiction.”

Some teachers provide incentives for class attendance, though. Spanish teacher Charlotte Taylor will conduct “an activity for points on that day; those who do Ditch Day will not have the opportunity.” Calling it “unfair” that students would get away with two fun days, Taylor said, “Teachers need to go on with what’s been planned. There are still going to be activities and projects.  When you cut, you have to deal with the consequences.”

As for the actual date of the Great Class Cut, the teachers will just have to be in suspense as it’s a secret to everyone.