When graduation season arrives, whether it be in middle school or high school, students look forward to receiving yearbooks. Whether it is to see how our yearbook pictures turned out, flip through the amazing memories, or get signatures from our classmates; the end of the year is characterized by reminiscing over the years and preparing to say goodbye. However, there’s one popular aspect of the yearbook that can ruin the whole mood; and that is the superlatives.
Superlatives are the categories in which at least one student is ranked as having the best of something or as being the most likely to accomplish something. Some examples are “Best Smile” and “Most Likely to Become Famous.” They are awarded either through the student body voting or the yearbook committee coming to a consensus agreement.
Superlatives surely make some people happy, whether it’s because they campaigned to win or are just pleasantly surprised by which one they were awarded with. But for some, it could be disappointing. Not getting the superlative you wanted can be really upsetting for some people. Individuals could despair about why they weren’t perceived as good enough for the title they wanted, or they might even get mad about receiving one they didn’t want. Ultimately, it creates an awkward situation for all students since the labels being assigned could cause fights or truly hurt people’s feelings.
In my own experience, I remember being partially disappointed when I was awarded a superlative in my middle school yearbook. Although the superlative did describe me well enough, I felt like I deserved another even more. Not receiving it made me upset during what was supposed to be a really fun time. However, when I graduated high school, superlatives didn’t exist in my yearbook. As a matter of fact, they didn’t exist until this year, with the Class of 2021 graduating. With the superlatives not existing when I graduated, it saved me from the possible disappointment I could’ve been facing if I didn’t like how I was ranked by my peers.
Overall, I feel we should get rid of yearbook superlatives. While they could be exciting for some, the potential disappointment makes the labels not worth ruining graduation for.