By The Roundup Staff
Dear Brophy Community,
No one in our community could have ever expected this: that we’d be out of a physical classroom for the whole rest of the school year, that we’d be stranded in our homes, that we wouldn’t be able to finish our sports seasons or that some of us wouldn’t be able to see our friends until summer or even the next school year.
COVID-19 has forever changed the world in so many ways, mostly through social distancing, the fear that some people feel leaving their homes without protective masks and gloves, and the way governments respond to outbreaks and material shortages.
There has not been a global health event quite like this since the HIV/AIDS epidemic or even the 1918 Influenza outbreak after World War I.
We are in unprecedented times in terms of the tests we are slated to undergo and the strain on our livelihood.
The tragedy upon us now will test our resolve, our faith and our ability to remain a community even while nearly all of the physical aspects of that community are locked away in quarantine.
However, it is the opinion of The Roundup that the Brophy community will overcome this trial.
More than that statement is an opinion, it is a challenge. It is a challenge to the entire community to make this opinion into fact, to prove that this trial, like many others, is not able to break our sense of mutuality and support.
The mandate of a community, the commitment we all agreed to undertake and uphold when we signed the enrollment paperwork, is that we are one body and act as such.
As one body, we are called to support and provide for one another in any way we can. This is our calling as men for and with others.
The storm we are in can be weathered, and while the main priority must be to remain safe and healthy, we must also make the storm as bearable as possible for other members of the community.
Imparted on us now is a test, a grim and tortuous test, which can seem bleak at times, but there are better days on the horizon.
In order to pass the test we must do all we can to support each other, support healthcare professionals on the front lines and follow all recommendations for remaining healthy.
The better days are coming, Broncos. In the meantime, do all within your power to maintain the aspects that make Brophy so special.
Just as we are sure your teachers and advisors are saying often, you must focus on your families and, though it might be hard to see them in person, focus on your friends too.
Call your grandparents or other elderly persons who you know, as they are likely having the toughest time of staying safe and are the most at risk.
Text or Facetime friends and extended family members as well, a simple call can go a long way to brighten someone’s day.
Focus on bettering yourself and those around you, for example, try learning a new skill. Cook meals for your family, learn an instrument that you never thought you could before or try your hand at another artistic pursuit. All of this extra time you may have could become an opportunity for growth rather than boredom.
Most of all, focus on the horizon, for there will never be better days if we do not believe that they can come.
Stay healthy and stay happy, Broncos.
