The sun arches over Senior Sunrise, the possibilities of the upcoming year are seemingly endless for the senior class.

  It’s the most anticipated year of our high school career, and with good reason. We readily await our senior parking spots as excitement builds for new experiences at Senior Ball and Sober Grad Night.

  However, there is one senior experience that Granite Bay High School students have missed out on time and time again. The opportunity to express themselves in a quote that they will remember for a lifetime.

  High school seniors across Sacramento and Placer county have been given the opportunity to feature their senior quote in the yearbook. Schools such as Jesuit, St. Francis and Rio Americano believe that it is just part of the senior experience.

  “All of the guys definitely look forward to it. I have over 20 pages of quotes and senior portraits just waiting to be put in the yearbook,” Erik Echona, editor in chief of the Jesuit yearbook said. “Pretty much every student submits a quote.”

  Granite Bay senior Melissa Cook believes that featuring senior quotes in this edition of the yearbook would incorporate the school–wide theme.

  “Senior quotes would really let people walk a mile in somebody else’s shoes, by getting to know them through that quote.” Cook said.

  Joey Scotti thinks that adding senior quotes would reap many benefits.

  “It ends the year with a bang,” Scotti said. “There is something to look back on other than just a picture.”

  This new senior perk would in turn give underclassmen yet another thing to look forward too. Upon seeing quotes in the yearbook, they would consider what their quote will be in the years to come.

  “I think underclassmen would spend a couple of years thinking, ‘What’s a good quote I can use?’” Scotti said.

  These quotes would not only excite freshmen, sophomores, and juniors, but they will also help to inspire them as they approach graduation.

  “In high school you have four years to explore who you are and what you’re interested in,” Granite Bay senior Erica Lucia said. “You would be looking for experiences that could be put beside your picture, leaving something meaningful behind.”

  As the possibility of this new freedom is discussed, it is justified to question the responsibility of the students. Filtering of quotes may be necessary by the office and yearbook staff; only adding to their workload.

  “I think with anything, giving that sort of freedom to students can sometimes result in trouble.” Lucia said. “But most of us will almost be adults by that time, so I think we generally know what is appropriate and what is not.”

  Joey Scotti thinks that as long as the submissions are monitored for content, there shouldn’t be any problems with putting quotes in the yearbook.

  “I don’t see any reason why they shouldn’t do senior quotes, as long as they’re filtering them for profanity.” Scotti said.

  While senior quotes may add to the workload of the yearbook and office staff, there is a sensible compromise. Many schools who don’t allow senior quotes, such as Rocklin and Woodcreek, allow senior signatures. Students are able to put their own mark in the yearbook by signing their name.

  “That’d be kind of cool because a lot of these people probably get famous one day,” Melissa Cook said.

  When asked, many seniors are unsure about what they would say in their final words as a Granite Bay student. It allows us to look back on who we were as teenagers, 20 to 30 years from now.

  As the year progresses, this new senior opportunity may be considered. Joey Scotti has already confirmed that he would quote Ferris Bueller in his final words.

  “Life moves pretty fast; if you don’t stop and look around every once in awhile, you could miss it.”