Mr. LaCasse’s address a few weeks ago broached an important debate, one that crosses our minds each time we see a vivid buzzcut bobbing in the halls: how harmful are our age-based traditions? At the center of this discourse are the seating arrangements in Prentice. Is the intent of this tradition truly to exclude or discriminate? Or is it important to defend the concept of seniority and retain some amount of upperclassman privilege because it’s an important part of boarding school culture? I do not stand for hazing, bullying, or public humiliation – like in some other private high schools, where stepping on the school seal as a non-senior requires ten push-ups on the spot – but I believe that Prentice seating doesn’t fit in any of these categories because it is so benign. Do we, as students, perceive it as divisive, or is everybody satisfied with waiting to grow older? And I am all for the institution of new traditions, as Taft is 135 years old and should be progressive in its ways, but this shouldn’t involve abolishing our beloved age-old traditions. I wanted to know what others thought, and asking around was an apt way to figure out the student body’s consensus. Here’s what most people agreed on:
Lowerclassmen are neither offended nor saddened by these unwritten rules. At my middle school, the annual awards ceremony that marked commencement focused on the seniors, the ninth graders. The vast majority of the prizes would be allocated to seniors, with the words “awarded to that ninth-grade student who…” having been included in their descriptions since their establishment. Nobody was particularly fazed by this display of seniority because they all understood that they, too, would have the same chance of receiving such an award in a few years’ time. And all of these ninth-graders bore an important charge. They took classes that initiated them as thoughtful leaders, and they therefore received a felicitous amount of limelight. My friends at other private high schools also have various opportunities for seniors. One of them, for example, has fond memories of hanging out in the senior-exclusive student union, a privilege that many awaited and relished. Where am I going with this? Every Taft lower schooler that I asked about the current dialogue surrounding tradition said that they weren’t bothered because they would soon be Taft seniors chiding defiant sophomores for standing too soon in Bingham. It didn’t bother them that they had to wait to be included. This whole system is cyclical; that’s natural.
Seniority can be a harmful practice, but, if regulated, it matters. Sure, when senior privilege becomes bias, you know that institutional change is impertivetive. ELLIE TAYLOR & ZOE CHIEWESHE Staff Writers But I would argue that small “perks” aren’t really so destructive. Besides, how different is the tacit understanding that some tables in the Jig are only for seniors than lower schoolers’ study hall being more restrictive than the upper schoolers? If we begin to quash minor traditions by writing them off as offensive, being a senior will lose its charm. Something has to differentiate the twelfth grade from the other grades, some level of prestige, maturity, and privilege to accompany and offer respite from the responsibility and stress. Lowerclassmen should have something to look forward to. If activities, clubs, and traditions weren’t exclusive on some conditions, none of them would feel special or prestigious; to some extent, exclusivity is like healthy competition, because it is beneficial in moderation. Besides, befriending an upper mid or senior is enough to avoid minor grievances like being turned away from Prentice, so there are certainly some known loopholes.
The position that I’ve taken is that Taft students shouldn’t be encouraged to abandon old practices unless they’re really discriminatory or divisive. Rules like these are completely anodyne in the eyes of us students, though it may not seem that way to some adults in the community. Tafties have even been discouraged from small traditions like having ten people say “Happy Birthday” when you’re giving a tour. Much like this inside joke, Taft’s “micro-traditions” deserve to exist even if they aren’t understood by everyone because they do bring us together. There’s nothing like the special feeling of satisfaction upon being invited to Prentice; it feels exotic the first time! To destroy these traditions would be to eviscerate our school culture and unity of some of the fun advantages that follow seniority