Once second semester hits for seniors, the end of high school becomes real. Mostly everyone focuses on the “five absent days”. If you do not know what this is, I will explain it.

So second semester, in order for seniors to avoid taking their second semester exams they can only miss five days of school and must have a “C” or better in the class.

The big issue about the five absent days is: what is considered excused and what is not. According to some, the only things excused are extracurricular events through the school.  But the majority of people, including myself, think other absences should be excused as well.

For example, I recently had my wisdom teeth removed because I was having serious issues with them and it was mandatory to get them out. Technically this would be called an “emergency surgery”. The doctor only does surgeries on the weekdays between 8am-12pm. This means it has to be done during school. I did receive a medical excuse for my absences from my wisdom teeth surgery, but they still counted towards my five absent days.

Should a major surgery have to count as your five days? No. If someone was in my position and had to get an “emergency surgery” that could not wait, then it is not our fault that we have to miss school. If I could choose, I would not have missed school. I almost came in the day after I had the surgery because I was so scared about missing a day, but I was in excruciating pain and still on a lot of medication making me unable to drive.

What do you think? Should a surgery or serious illness be counted as the five absences? The administration should look into the policy and consider specific medical absences as excused, such as surgeries. Or possibly look at each on a case by case basis if students and their parents make a special request

-Korrin Zollweg