I may have an acute case of senioritis. My symptoms, however, vary from the stereotype of apathy. I’m not kicking back and skipping class. It’s a new strain of the disease. I’m plagued by:

Nostalgia: continual discussion of the old middle school campus. Jovial reminiscing about my kvetchy Spectrum column, “What Grinds my Gears.” I marvel at Facebook pictures of eighth grade me, remembering my high voice; I was really a little kid.

Aging: every time I hop in my car to drive off campus for lunch, the freedom shocks me.  It’s something of a phenomenon. I feel older, almost like an adult. And yes, I can see over the steering wheel.

Fraternity: I’ve made an effort not to just hang with my usual entourage. I’ve spoken to people with whom I rarely made eye contact in years past, and the connections are surprisingly strong. You don’t spend six years with a person without at least inadvertently learning about them.

School spirit: I probably won’t say “Go Big Red” if asked “Do you like it?” But I’ve gone to more games this year than the combined total of the last two years. Even though I’ll wear the shirt, I wouldn’t necessarily classify myself as a Fanatic. However I’m more likely to be at a home game than sitting in front of the TV.

Enthusiasm: senior year is really the first time when you can choose every aspect of your schedule. I feel truly passionate about each of my classes. That’s unique and always encouraging during this stressful first semester of senior year.

So yeah, I do have senioritis. But it’s not a bad thing.