There is a school-wide epidemic that is severely afflicting students at Whitefish High School, so much so that both teachers and parents have raised alarm.

Thankfully, this epidemic is not new; it has hit Whitefish High School before. It comes annually, and its side effects peak following spring break. Luckily, only the members of the graduating senior class are most susceptible to this disease. And it isn't deadly; the most danger this epidemic can produce is a significant amount of laziness, fatigue and procrastination in Whitefish High School seniors.

"Senioritis' is not unique to Whitefish High School. The term, in fact, has earned a place in the Merriam-Webster Online dictionary, where it is defined as "an ebbing of motivation and effort by school seniors as evidenced by tardiness, absences and lower grades."

Journalists and teachers alike have issued articles and advice on the subject, the College Board, renowned for its expertise in test and college preparation, warns against it, and there is even a Web site devoted entirely to those inflicted with this disease that welcomes viewers with the slogan, "Hello, Lazy." Senioritis attacks everyone, from the least-motivated to the highly motivated.

So what exactly causes such a widely-discussed disease? Seniors at Whitefish High School recently shared their ideas on the issue.

"Since January, I feel like I have no motivation to keep doing school work when I am this close to graduating," Cameron Sutton said. "I think senioritis is caused by simply the knowledge that the real world is out there waiting to be explored."

Senior Hannah Weaver agreed.

"We have less than 20 days of school left, and I know where I'm going to college, so high school seems very pointless," she said. "There's a realization now that the next step in life is so close. Something new and exciting is just about to happen, and high school pales in comparison. We're all just tired."

Indeed, many seniors stated that senioritis is not the equivalent of procrastination, but rather a much-deserved rest.

"I've had senioritis since freshman year," Casey VanNyhuis said. "I think it's just us resting in anticipation for the huge amount of effort everyone will be putting into college. We're recognizing that school is not something to stress out about anymore."

"I'm just taking a break for now," Joel Snipes said. "I think I deserve one."

But is simply "taking a break" OK? Many critics argue that such a decline in performance paves the way for lack of success in the future. The College Board states that senioritis is "likely to do more harm than good."

"Not only does senioritis jeopardize your chances for success later on in college, it can also affect your grades — and college admissions officers pay close attention to your performance in your senior year," the College Board's Web site states.

Many universities do indeed reserve the right to rescind admission offers in cases of declining academic performance, often stating in contracts issued to incoming freshmen, "Your admission is contingent on your continued successful performance."

Despite this threat, most Whitefish High School seniors do not feel that senioritis will have negative consequences in the future.

"When you get into a new environment, you feel regenerated," Becca Strellnauer pointed out. "In college, you're working toward a feasible you."

"College is a whole different story than high school," Nathan Labuda said. "Most kids want the freedom of college."

"College will be challenging in different areas, and there will be so much more to do," Hannah Weaver said. "We'll be tired in a different way; not because we're bored or don't care, but because we'll want to experience everything in a new place."

Still, the epidemic of senioritis is not without its anxiety and frustration on the part of teachers and parents. Although teachers attempt to combat the disease's side effects through May, it has become a known fact that there is, quite simply, no cure but that of graduation — which for many cannot come soon enough.

"You cannot change the desire to experience new things," Strellnauer said.

Indeed, she's right, for there are, in fact, precisely 15 days left — and counting.