“Twelfth year... amounts to a period of restless waiting that practically begs to move on to debauchery and ends with a big silly party under a mirror ball that spins on the spot like the minds of those beneath it. " Essayist and novelist Walter Kirn, in his article “Class Dismissed,” uses statements like this to attest to his view that the senior year should be removed in part, if not entirely, from the high school system. Kirn sees the senior year as an unnecessary extension of students' education when time is wasted or otherwise spent causing problems. He is so convinced that he states the following: "... [seniors] rule, not because they have accomplished much. ..but because it's tradition..." The workforce or starting higher education would be superior choices than year 12 in his eyes. With the possible money saved in the absence of year 12, there seems to be no problem with Kirn's opinion However, being a senior myself, I believe that Walter Kirn has not considered some important aspects of senior year that are more valuable than you think. First, not all lessons need to be career-specific chosen by the student. Just because he or she doesn't plan on going into business or chemistry or whatever class in question doesn't mean it couldn't benefit them to investigate as many subjects as possible. Kirn naively claims that seniors are trying to “earn a grade they don't need” during their senior year of high school. This is not correct. College freshmen are notorious for changing majors, and while I can't say for sure how often young adults change careers, I know that their desired career path is not guaranteed. Therefore, continuing to explore through late adolescence might help later... middle of paper...... In fact, given the possibility of graduating early, I would take another class to not do so. Kirn highlights some of the unwise decisions made by elders, but those decisions would not change if the vote were removed. Senior year is not only valuable academically, but also socially. Walter Kirn successfully brings to light some of the worst aspects of the last year. However, these arguments are not valid enough to justify its discontinuation. Any problems encountered are the fault of the student or school administration, not the grade level itself. Senior year is worth holding on to for both the persistence of learning and the strengthening of relationships. Kirn is happy to mention his choice to drop out of high school early. However, the four-year high school experience must not be demoralized by those who want to enhance it for the irreplaceable opportunity it represents.