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Family traditions are activities, routines, and behaviors that are repeated and passed down from generation to generation within a family. Some people have different types of family traditions, like some families do game nights, movie nights or decorate the family Christmas tree. Family traditions are important to some families as it's something that the family has done for years. Some people have cultural traditions, religious traditions. Cultural traditions are practices related to religion, holidays, food, dance, clothing, language, music, and crafts. Religious holidays are beliefs, practices and institutions used to describe a type of religion. Glen Beach, a teacher a says, “family traditions are important to me and my family because it keeps everyone in contact and everyone gets to see each other”. Beach also says that his most important family tradition that his family has is making a meal together. Although family traditions seem fun, not everyone likes family traditions because they have bad family traditions. Some people may disagree with others about some family traditions because each family is different.

Arianna Elena Reyna, a freshman at said, “I like family traditions because we live by their cultural traditions and keep our reputation going”. Some families celebrate traditions within their culture. Many families have different cultural traditions. Anyelin Garcia Mejia, a freshman at , says that “Me and my family celebrate holidays because it's fun and we get to spend time with family.” Some people celebrate holidays like Christmas, Hanukkah, and Eid al-Fitr. Hanukkah is celebrated for dedication and Eid al-fitr is cel ebrated to commemorate the end of the holy month of Ramadan. Christmas is celebrated to remember the birth of Jesus Chris. Karen Adams a teacher at Western Hill High School says “Family traditions ground us and connect us to other members of our family. We feel at ease and reassured in our ties to the past present and expectations for our future generations.” Overall you can tell that these traditions are important to some families. According to Jeremiah Say, “Holidays are about creating cherished memories with loved ones and finding magic in the simplest moments.” Let’s celebrate together!

So where does discipline begin? You’re sleeping in bed all warmed up in your blanket. Your alarm goes off, and you realize it's another school day. You don’t feel like getting out of bed, and leaving the warmth of your blanket. Motivation is hard to find in the morning to some people. Some people find it easy to wake up and start their day. Discipline starts when you wake up. Even if you don’t feel like waking up and getting ready to go to school. You push yourself to get up. Even when the motivation leaves you, you still discipline yourself to get the day over with excellence.

I asked a student if they took a while to get up from bed and get ready to go to school. Azaleya Tensley, an 11th grader that goes to Western Hills University High School said, “Yes, it takes me a while to get out of bed and get ready for school. I feel like it is hard to find the motivation to get up for school.” Most school discipline is more towards the school work the students receive. When students receive assignments some take more than a day to finish that assignment. Some find the motivation and have the discipline to finish their assignments the day it is assigned. When students don’t have discipline they end up more stressed.

Students get piled up with homework and start stressing at the end. If students had the discipline to finish their assignments right away most of their stress toward the end of the quarter would decrease immensely. I asked a student if he finished his homework right away or didn’t finish it at all. Evyann French, a senior who plays for the men’s basketball team at says, “I try to do my assignments right away, but if I don’t get to finish it right away I end up finishing it later in the day.” I also asked what he did when he would get piled up with assignments, and if he got stressed about the piles of homework.

French says, “I just find a day when I have a lot of time, and then get to do all my assignments that day. So I usually don’t get stressed about the assignments I get.” Although some people don’t find it difficult to find this mindset of finishing their assignment, some students find it very hard. Discipline is sometimes hard to achieve. When you have to push yourself to do things you don’t have any motivation to do it can be difficult. I asked a student if it was hard to have the mindset of getting her assignments done right away. Tensley says, “Very very difficult!

Motivation comes with a positive mindset and it is kind of hard to have a positive mindset doing something you don’t feel like doing.”

Some students say that discipline can be influenced by friends and some say that some friends can interfere with your school discipline. Kids usually do what their friends would do. Most follow the path their friends follow. You can also build more discipline by not following the bad influences of certain friends. I asked a student if she thought that certain friends could interfere with their school discipline. Tariyah Jones, a 12th grader that goes to Western Hills University High School said, “Yes, if you hang around with the wrong people; people that don't do their work.

You would want to be doing what they’re doing and eventually forget about your assignments” Although learning to have school discipline can be helpful in school it can also be helpful later on in life. When you finish high school you would require a lot of discipline. Discipline is everywhere in life. You have to have discipline when having a job. Sometimes people get a job that they don’t like, but pay them well. People have to find the discipline of going to that job everyday not because they want to but because they have to. I asked a student if being academically disciplined would help them later in their life.

Jones said, “I think being disciplined can be helpful later in life. For example, if you get to go to college or want to go to college. You would require a lot of discipline, so when you get an assignment you would get it done and not stress as much.”

What is poetry, and why is it important? Poetry is a way to communicate your thoughts and feelings, way to give them meaning, way to provide understanding and truth. Poetry is a way to empathize with one another, and to understand that we are not the only ones there are others who feel and think the same way we do. Poetry reveals that you're not trapped underneath it all alone, are there is a way to navigate all the storms. A teacher at Western Hills, Mx. Kline “ says, “Poetry, like all forms of artistic ex pression, gives voice to people’s emotions. It can be a doorway to understanding the feelings that may otherwise be difficult to express.” “It's a way to make sense of everything that's going on. A way to gain healing from those moments. To put the feelings into words. Poetry is a form of art and expression,” Kline states. They also believe that poetry is so much deeper than just something to pass time. “Poetry can certainly entertain, but also connect people through emotion. The right poem can help someone feel seen and let them know others have similar feelings. That’s the true power of poetry: Connec tion,” Kline stated. Ms. Karen Adams French teacher at Western Hills says poetry is important because “Poetry can strike an emotional chord deep in our soul. The simplicity of words can resonate and evoke complex reactions within the reader.” Poetry is a common ground for many people not just adults and teachers but people of all ages and backgrounds especially teenagers example who write or make songs. Youssouf Diallo a senior from West High says “Poetry means a way of expressing myself without fear of being (and having fun while doing it).”