Starting this school year, the class of 2024 celebrates senior day on either the 20th or 24th of each month. The day aims to build class spirit, which has been lacking in this year’s seniors. Seniors are encouraged to wear their class shirts and enter their name into a raffle for prizes.  

“We’re a failure of a class,” senior class president Kaylee Lock said.  

In October the class of 2024 lost spirit week; this almost never happens. This year the juniors took first place.  

“It’s embarrassing.” Lock said, “We needed to do something to boost class spirit,”. 

Students can only win prizes if they show up to school. The prizes include a range of gifts from gift cards to Apple Airpods, leftover prizes from last year’s prom. Last year parents donated thousands of dollars worth of prizes. The class of 2024 student government hopes that the prizes and school spirit days can make going to school more fun and desirable.  

“We can’t be having any senioritis,” prom chair Regan Proctor (‘24) said. “It makes Hereford look bad.” 

Some argue that we shouldn’t be rewarding students for things that they are expected to be doing as it leads to entitlement, but rewards have been proven to boost people’s engagement in tasks and make them more likely to perform the targeted behavior. In one study, students who were rewarded for taking fruit and vegetables from the cafeteria were much more likely to take them. 

According to the American Federation of Teachers, rewards can only be effective when they are guaranteed and expected. However, senior days rewards aren’t concrete or guaranteed. The senior day prizes are a lottery with only a few students winning each month, because of this most students will never win.

Despite these concerns senior day marks a concerted effort to boost class spirit and get students excited to go to school.