Aidan Garcila was given the Hogwarts legacy, emphasizing his enjoyment of the series. The Hogwarts legacy was passed down to Aidan while he was in the 7th grade by Dexter Lee, continuing to circulate the old legacy. “It's given to people who have a really deep love for the books and series,” explains Aidan.
The FWPA legacy event is a long-lasting tradition at FWPA, existing for over 15 years. The event consists of the passing down of objects that represent a unique characteristic of a 10th grader, passed down to a student of a lower grade who shares that characteristic.
A former teacher, Mr. Linn started the FWPA legacy event. Mr. Genzlinger, who was a student at FWPA while the event was still taking place, believes this event builds up the school’s community, allowing people to branch out of their usual cliques. “It builds up the community. It’s something that’s silly, it’s something that is sentimental, and I think it unites us as students,” explains Mr. Genzlinger. Mr. Klumpenhower explains that other schools also do similar events, which was a factor that contributed to the making of this event, “A lot of prep type schools do, not just us. And so and I think it’s something that Mr. Linn thought would be a good idea for our school.”
There are few current existing legacies, as many were prevented from circulating during the Covid pandemic. The currently existing legacies include the Bright Future legacy held by Maria Fernandez in 10th grade, the Mini Me legacy held by Suri Kern in 10th grade, and the Hogwarts legacy held by Aidan Garcila in 8th grade. The Hogwarts legacy is an old and long-lasting legacy that managed to circulate through the Covid pandemic. It has passed through at least 6 people. “Because FWPA is a community,” Aidan further explains, “The legacy is trying to push that sense of community even further. And also I like it because you kind of have a sense of connection to people you don’t even know, like the people who had it before you.”
In 2008, Mr. Genzlinger attended FWPA as a student, and also created a legacy. That year, all the 10th grade students had to create a legacy to pass down. Mr. Genzlinger then created the ping pong legacy, which he claims is due to the high skill in ping pong he had at the time. “You’re always seeing who’s somebody that would share the same common interest as you,” explains Mr. G.
The FWPA legacy event continues as a tradition where 10th graders pass down symbolic objects to younger students who share similar interests and traits. Although the event was temporarily disrupted, some legacies such as the Mini Me and Hogwarts legacies continue. Many people including students and teachers believe the tradition connects and forms a stronger community in FWPA, giving the possibility of new legacies being developed in the future. Existing for over 15 years, originating from a former teacher, the tradition carries on Mr. Linn’s legacy.