Some seniors have taken
the initiative to expand
their horizons and look into the not-so-distant future, toward the possibility of college. Before investing $12,000 a semester in the university of their choice, students want to visit the school's campus. These brave few have found along the way, however, that obtaining a school-sponsored absence to visit a college campus isn't just difficult. It's impossible.
A school-sponsored absence is defined as "any activity which the school sanctions where school personnel are present." Visiting a college campus does not fall under this category because school personnel aren't present.
Of course, the school can't be responsible for every important off-campus educational experience. However, the attendance policy treats a college visit absence like an absence where the student has the sniffles, not only discouraging students from visiting college campuses, but punishing those who do make the trip with semester tests.
Students are school-sponsored on student/parent exchange day so they can laze around the house and watch television, imagining how mom is faring in Math III. Exchange day is just for the sake of public relations, yet students aren't penalized for their absence.
A simple solution would be if the school gave each student a limited number of 'college visitation absences' for which a parent could vouch, so the absences wouldn't count against the student in the attendance policy. It really doesn't seem right to punish the academic explorer with tests because of his or her quest to discover the unknown territory called college.
Imagine the response if Captain Picard of the USS Enterprise gave an order to Ensign Crusher to explore a solar system, going where no man has gone before - but Crusher can't leave the galaxy because he'd have to take semester finals back at the Academy:
Picard: "Ensign, lay in a course for the designated system."
Crusher: "Sorry Captain! If we go, I'll have to take semester tests next quarter!"
Data: "Oh you little tiny life forms. Can't you ever get away from your humanoid schools? Beam me up!"
Students are simply trying to take advantage of the resources available to them. What they're trying to do is engage their minds. The school needs to recognize this and encourage it.