Traditions are a big part of Shorewood Schools. If you doubt this, try taking away hotdog day. While I’ve nothing against the dog, per se, I do wonder why it gets to enjoy the “job for life” security only Supreme Court appointees are granted. That’s forever, and maybe even longer for the hot dog if you consider additives. Over the years, there have been questions from parents about why THIS food. Why not burger, grilled cheese, garden pattie or smelt days? How about a tip of the cap to local growers and participate in Locally Grown Food Day? Cranberries, soybeans and beer for everyone.
The first bit of Shorewood tradition I was exposed to was the annual “Wake the Neighbors at Six in the Morning” high jinks . For those of you who don’t know about this, high school seniors drive through town honking the horns of their parents’ cars, warning, declaring or boasting about the fact that their torture is almost over. No block left in silence. This is probably so everyone has ample time to view the mess made around the village overnight. As if by magic, miles of toilet paper hang draped in Christo form from block to block all leading to the high school. Years ago, I got to experience this myself. I hosed clean the tress and scrubbed off a scrawled message that I couldn’t make out under the cat litter, but am pretty sure was some sort of warm wish for the upcoming semester. It was funnier before, when it happened to someone else. That’s a good measure of tradition quality. If you don’t want it happening to you, it’s probably not real nice.
Maybe this year’s seniors would consider showing us the ways of a new generation. Find or make opportunities to welcome new students in. We have enough fencing in the world. Maybe there is a new tradition waiting. Maybe it’s time to rethink some of the things we do because we always have. Some need a new context. Schools work hard to develop students who know what responsible decisions are, but they need to see it out in the world. The long term payoff for any character education ought to be communities in which such behaviors are modeled and expected. That’s how things will change.
My deepest respect goes to those students who remember what it’s like to be anxious about school, and help their new peers by making it easier, not more difficult. This shift may seem impossible in the midst of such ingrained national tradition keeping, but who knows? Perhaps students will stop worrying about going to middle school starting 5th grade and high school starting 7th. Maybe next hot dog day, we will have students and families from K-12 together, sitting out on the lawns enjoying lunch; hot dogs made of all the flying pigs.
