Nicest Eyes. Most Likely to Succeed. Worst Case of Senioritis.

Superlatives such as these appear in yearbooks across the nation, forever capturing the unique personalities of those in the graduating class. A superlative, by definition, is a description given to someone or something that is the highest ranked.  However, it also means “an exaggerated expression of praise.”

Now that the Class of 2014 has made it to senior year, it is their turn to pick superlatives.

Senior Ben Bevan likes the concept of superlatives because the recipients are new each year, making the book unique.

“I think they are a good thing because they make the yearbook interesting and more fun,”  he said.

However, others don’t like the concept of selecting superlatives at all, complaining that some of the categories are hard to understand.

“They’re stupid,” said history teacher Mr. Dan O’Malley. “Especially this year. ‘Dream Date’? What does that mean?”

Some students get frustrated by the process of voting for superlatives, including senior Kelsey Peterson who got annoyed when people were asking for votes from their classmates.

“You should get it if you deserve it,” she said.

In this debate, students have to think about the concept behind superlatives: is it just for fun or is it a matter of earning or deserving a title?

Another concern that students may have is that superlatives might be going to people who actually deserve it, but rather the people who have more friends to rack up votes for them. If this is the case, many argue it becomes a popularity contest.

Some people, however, are unsure about how they feel about superlatives. The perfect example of a person on the fence would be Chef Lou Caruso, who teaches cooking.

“Ahhh,” he hummed as he pondered the question. “There are two points of view. I can see it being a confidence booster, and a pick-me up in one case. But, on the other hand, it alienates the people who did not get anything. I’d really have to think about that one.”