The seniors on varsity field hockey were excited to finally run their own “Senior Slave Day,” a long running tradition where each of the
seniors on the team dress up underclassmen in outrageous costumes and makeup to wear the whole school day.

However, this year, the day the senior girls looked forward to was cut short. The day started off per tradition: meet at St. Louis Bread Co. for breakfast, where the seniors dress up their younger teammates and then head to school.

But shortly upon arrival, the underclassmen who had been decked out in “Senior Slave Day” worthy garb were asked by administrators to change.

Rockwood administrators see this practice as comparable to hazing, and said it disrupts the school day.

Principal Dr. Greg Mathison said there were good reasons behind the cancellation of traditions like “Senior Slave Day.”

“Over the past several years, more and more disruptive dresses have occurred,” Dr. Mathison said. “As principal, I need to make sure that we have no room for hazing going on among the underclassmen.”

Many of the senior girls on the team were disappointed with the decision.

Anna Varsam, senior, said the members on the team never saw “Senior Slave Day” as something to dread, it was just a fun ritual of the team.

Varsam said the fact that administrators were putting an end to “Senior Slave Day” wasn’t a big deal. However, the team was punished because they decided to do “Senior Slave Day” even though they were aware it’s now against school policy.

Punishment was left to the discretion of the coaches.

“We now have to take and take back all the equipment for every single day of field hockey practice and games,” Varsam said.

Kelly Dunlap, senior, said this year, in attempt to not violate school policy, the underclassmen dressed themselves with the clothes the seniors brought.

“I provided the clothes, but they put them on,” Dunlap said. “And for the record, we did make it optional. And there were several people that didn’t get dressed up because they did not want to be.”

Dunlap said she understood what administrators were trying to do by banning “Senior Slave Day.” Even though she said she enjoyed participating when she was younger, she said she also knows some kids can be self-conscious, and she wouldn’t want them to feel forced into doing something.

“Some kids feel like they’re just doing it because they’re going to get reprimanded if they don’t,” Dunlap said. “And some of the upperclassmen in the past years have been mean about it.”

That was exactly the kind of thing that Dr. Mathison said administrators want to prevent.

“I see that as a direct violation of district policy, and I’ve asked for it to end,” Dr. Mathison said.