Traditions in the Blake Community
It’s freshman year as you walk into the Blake Upper School. As you walk around, you realize that for some reason there are two open lounges on the first floor. So what do you do? You go and sit down in one of these leather chairs. However, you had not realized yet that these chairs were more than just any other chairs. They were a part of a senior tradition known as the senior lounge. Next thing you knew, you were told to get out of the chair and go to your own lounge on the third floor. What a great welcome to the Upper School.
There are many traditions that are known at Blake. What I have realized though is most of these traditions revolve around the senior class. For example, they get the railing at the homecoming game, they get the most convenient lounge, and they have a chant they say at the beginning of every assembly. Being a senior this year I can say that I have been looking forward to this year for as long as I have remembered. What I was wondering was: what makes tradition associated with authority at Blake? I believe that there is not one answer to this question. Perhaps it has to do with the long wait that the seniors have to endure in order to feel this sense of authority that comes with traditions, or maybe we seniors have a sense of invincibility because of the fact that we are the “leaders” of the high school.
Haidt defines the authority pillar of the five moral pillars as underlining "virtues of leadership and followership, including deference to legitimate authority and respect for traditions." But is there a time where the respect for a tradition could potentially violate a different moral pillar such as harm/care. The answer to that is yes. For example, you can see that with the unlimited methods people will use to kick un-knowing freshman off of the railings, out of the senior lounge, or out of their table at lunch. Now this year I believe that these actions have been little to none, however as a past underclassman I have experienced this violation of one pillar for the respect of another.
Not only are traditions strongly respected at the Blake School, but they take priority over any other pillar, something that I believe needs to be changed. Yes I believe traditions are very enjoyable and most of them are necessary, but I believe the other 4 pillars are just as necessary and important to have a nice, positive, morally "good" community. Now I am not saying that we disrespect the pillars, but that traditions do not take priority over morals such as harm/care. And once we can equally respect each pillar is when we will have the most respected and cohesive community. However, one question I am still left with is why are all the traditions at the Blake School associated with the authority of the senior class?
There are many traditions that are known at Blake. What I have realized though is most of these traditions revolve around the senior class. For example, they get the railing at the homecoming game, they get the most convenient lounge, and they have a chant they say at the beginning of every assembly. Being a senior this year I can say that I have been looking forward to this year for as long as I have remembered. What I was wondering was: what makes tradition associated with authority at Blake? I believe that there is not one answer to this question. Perhaps it has to do with the long wait that the seniors have to endure in order to feel this sense of authority that comes with traditions, or maybe we seniors have a sense of invincibility because of the fact that we are the “leaders” of the high school.
Haidt defines the authority pillar of the five moral pillars as underlining "virtues of leadership and followership, including deference to legitimate authority and respect for traditions." But is there a time where the respect for a tradition could potentially violate a different moral pillar such as harm/care. The answer to that is yes. For example, you can see that with the unlimited methods people will use to kick un-knowing freshman off of the railings, out of the senior lounge, or out of their table at lunch. Now this year I believe that these actions have been little to none, however as a past underclassman I have experienced this violation of one pillar for the respect of another.
Not only are traditions strongly respected at the Blake School, but they take priority over any other pillar, something that I believe needs to be changed. Yes I believe traditions are very enjoyable and most of them are necessary, but I believe the other 4 pillars are just as necessary and important to have a nice, positive, morally "good" community. Now I am not saying that we disrespect the pillars, but that traditions do not take priority over morals such as harm/care. And once we can equally respect each pillar is when we will have the most respected and cohesive community. However, one question I am still left with is why are all the traditions at the Blake School associated with the authority of the senior class?
No comments:
Post a Comment