Traditions on Our Campus and In Our Hearts

What are traditions? How are traditions important? In what ways do traditions shape our lives and affect them, on a daily basis? Well, it depends what the tradition is, and what the environment. You can have a family tradition, perhaps a picture in the same place every year. Or maybe an organization's tradition, the same community service event every year. Just from these two examples, you can find the true meaning of traditions.

When you look up tradition in the dictionary, it says “The transmission of customs or beliefs from generation to generation, or the fact of being passed on in this way.” This is the exact meaning, however, it is so much more than that. It is what people come to expect. It is what people talk about to others. Above all, it defines and puts a foundation beneath an organization or group of people.

So, can a school be subject to traditions and the values that they hold? Well, of course. After all it is an organization, and a group of people, a large group of people, is supporting it. It also has events that students and the community expect to see happen. There are some of the aspects in a school, that defines that school and make that school unique. They are the memories that parent, and even grandparents, tell their kids they will do, when they are the right age to be in that school.

Barstow High School is an exemplary example of traditions. It is down the halls, in the classrooms, on the football field, in the basketball court. Overall, in the atmosphere.

This comes with the territory of the history based around the school. The main hall, or office, most students see every day, dates back to 1938-- almost 80 years old. Before that, the school had been smaller, but still Barstow High , from 1915. To put that into perspective that is 102 years ago, over a century ago. Main Hall was built during the Great Depression, with funding from the New Deal, a major part in American history. Who would have thought, it would affect us so closely? It is truly incredible. That means our school, the one most teens dread seeing everyday, has seen World War 2 and Pearl Harbor attacks, the 50’s with poodle skirts and slick hair, or even the 80’s with the big hair and questionable clothing choices.

Over this great period of time, a lot of events have been held and from those special moments, traditions have developed. These traditions range from the sophomores that paint B Hill every year, to the Daisy Chain that Junior girls can participate in at graduation, to Powder Puff, to even Senior Nights in all sports. All students have a different high school experience. Not one is better than another, just different and unique. Some students enjoy football season to watch the games, go to Prom, and go to the rival games, against the Victorville Rabbits. Others play in these games, which is a different memory as well.

To add on to this, every student, has a different reason to feel attached to the traditions they connect to the most. Some say they go to those timeless events, to make memories with friend, others say they go to support their school. However, the best way to describe this is, “Seeing Aztec Pride shine through, whether there is a win or a lose.” (John Caldron 10th) This quote

encompasses traditions and how they affect us. They bring us together, for a cause much greater than just ourselves. Whether it be for a specific sport, or coming together as a school, traditions unify us. They give an identity. This identity cannot be taken away from us and it makes a bond, that is difficult to break.

BHS may just be a school, a place you have to go 5 days a week. It may feel like a chore; after all it is still school. However, if you look beyond that, you will see a beautiful school, with a deep history. A history to be proud of. The fact that our school was built in the middle of the greatest economic struggle of the 20th century is amazing. The fact that it is still around and teaching 100’s of students a day in the 21st century is incredible. Over that time, there are events, that have been made annual ideals. These are the thing we call traditions. These traditions are very near to our hearts. Form these traditions, we find an unifying identity. An identity, that when we have graduated, and have gone our separate ways, we can look back on, and say, “I am a Barstow Aztec.”