By Daniel Robb ’10
THE ROUNDUP

As people begin their explorations of high school, they are exposed to many new people and ideas.

This can lead to serious re-considerations in a person’s mode of thinking. This is especially true at a school like Brophy, which encourages us to think and discover new ideas.

According to a Roundup poll of 70 students, about 21 percent of seniors had changed their faith over their four years.

This could be perceived as good or bad by people with different aims, even by Brophy’s aims, which seem to be somewhat conflicting. Two parts of Brophy’s mission of making us more like the “Grad at Graduation” are being “open to growth” and being “religious.”

These changes could be an indication that a good portion of students have truly taken being “open to growth” seriously.

But this statistic also includes people who have lost faith, not just gained it—an indication that at least some people have become less “religious.”

In this sense, these two goals seem to be contradictory. But this is only a slight criticism; the five goals are on a whole a noble endeavor.

But a complete change of faith requires patience, courage and openness whichever way that change takes you.

I would say the fact that so many students have gone through a change is a good indication. It means that people are discovering new ideas, thinking them over and re-evaluating previous positions.

All of this indicates tremendous growth.

A change of faith can be one of the most grueling things you can go throughp; I know from experience. But I also know that going through one can be one of the most rewarding experiences.

I know that due to mine, I have had a complete change in the way I think about myself and the world, and I am sure that the same sort of thing accompanies other people’s changes in a similar way.

And I think this is ultimately Brophy’s goal: to have us truly re-evaluate the way we think about ourselves and the world.

I know that the Brophy student community, as well as the intellectual encouragement provided by the faculty, can be a powerful force.

I don’t know any other place where a transition like this can be so facilitated and supported, even if the change is one that most of those supporting would disagree with.