A part of human nature is the craving to feel a part of something, to feel like you belong. People want to be a part of a community. One way to satisfy this need is to take part in long-lasting traditions because traditions bring people together, from both the past and the present. At Lincoln-Way Central, there are many traditions students are able to be a part of, varying from school-wide activities to activities in a classroom.
One tradition Lincoln-Way Central has occurs on the first day of school. Every year on the first day of school, students in Link and Welcome Crew welcome freshmen and the rest of the student body by clapping for them as they enter the school for the first time. This tradition has a huge impact on the incoming freshman class. The first day of high school is unforgettable; you’re filled with nerves and excitement for what the next four years will hold. To start such a big day with nothing but support from upperclassmen gives freshmen a sense of belonging and shows them that everything will be okay, and that the upperclassmen are there for support.
Within the language hallway another tradition transpires every week amongst the Spanish classes: “Ha Ha Jueves”. Every Thursday in most of the Spanish classes the teacher prepares a joke for their students that usually consists of a play on current or old Spanish vocabulary. Starting class like this once a week lightens the mood and allows for a couple minutes to simply relax and prepare yourself for the class. Doing this allows everyone in the class to work together to understand the joke or figure out the punch line before it is revealed. This instills a sense of community because students from all grade levels within the class feel a connection through the shared humor of a joke that not anyone would be able to understand or find funny if they are not in a Spanish class.
There are many traditions within the C-wing such as The Bounds Turkey Contest, the Boo Radley Wanted poster drawing contest, Friday funnies in Mrs. Vaculik’s class, etc. The last tradition I will touch on is the nickname Mrs. Davy calls all her students, which is her “scholars.” Mrs. Davy is retiring after this school year, so this is the last year students will be called scholars in her classes. It is important to remember that at some point all things come to an end, traditions being no exception. Mrs. Davy’s tradition of calling her students her “scholars” may be coming to an end as this school year finishes up, but it will never be forgotten by any of the students who had her as a teacher. Even something as small as this tradition, a teacher calling all her students “scholars,” leaves a big impact. This tradition makes all of her students feel like they belong and are important within the class.
There are many more traditions in and out of the classroom here at Lincoln-Way Central, and they are what makes our school community so strong. Once a Knight, always a Knight!
