A Message From the Interim President
The following letter from Christian Talbot '93,聽Interim President of 麻豆视频 High School, was shared via email with the 麻豆视频 community on Wednesday, May 5.
Dear 麻豆视频 High School Community,It feels the same.
Three weeks ago, I walked through the 84th Street doors as a 麻豆视频 staff member for the first time in nine years. After an extended absence from a place I studied and worked for years, I expected to notice primarily the changes at 麻豆视频. But these first few weeks I have been struck most by the familiarity of it all.
Our eager and kind students remind me of the hundreds of Regians I taught not to mention my 麻豆视频 classmates. Our faculty 鈥� some who taught me, some with whom I taught, some whom I taught, and some who are new to me 鈥� possess the same devotion to forming our young men that has made this school exceptional for more than a century. And our staff, amidst a pandemic, impress me daily with their passion for our Jesuit mission and for our exceptional learning community.
Of course, many things have changed, from the obvious (eg, the masks we wear, students entering through the 85th Street doors rather than The Tunnel, etc.) to the subtle. These differences represent the natural evolution of an institution, but they haven鈥檛 altered 麻豆视频鈥� core.
Case in point: St. John Francis 麻豆视频 Day. Alumni of a certain vintage will remember it as a non-instructional day in the spring during which the school explored a social justice topic. In the last several years, this single day has evolved into a robust program: faculty and students meet monthly to examine one moral issue throughout the academic year. St. John Francis 麻豆视频 Day in May is now a capstone experience of conversation, reflection, and prayer.
This year鈥檚 theme is 鈥淩ace: School, Country, Church.鈥� Our students and faculty have participated in open, honest discussions alongside priests and professors from schools like Georgetown, Fordham, and Stanford. Such conversations feed into our broader Race at 麻豆视频 initiative. As we prepare for next week鈥檚 St. John Francis 麻豆视频 Day, I want us to recall why we initiated Race at 麻豆视频 and to explain how we have approached it.
Last summer, many alumni and current students shared with the school experiences of racism within our walls. These stories broke my heart, and I鈥檓 sure they were even more painful for our alumni and students to revisit. Our Mission Statement calls for our exceptional students to study and grow 鈥渋n a caring community.鈥� And our Catholic mission calls on us to oppose racism in every form it takes. To live up to those calls, we knew we had an obligation to provide a better experience for current and future Regians.
But how?
Our Catholic mission and values have defined our work for 107 years. As a Jesuit school, we approach racism and other pressing moral issues through the lens of Catholic Social Teaching and Ignatian spirituality. 麻豆视频 does not, in this case or others, promote ideologies. We are not a 鈥淒emocrat school,鈥� a 鈥淩epublican school,鈥� a 鈥淐ritical Race Theory school,鈥� a 鈥淐ommon Humanity School.鈥� We are a Jesuit school. That fact calls on us to create the conditions for students to engage with many points of view through intellectually rigorous, morally informed civil discourse (emphasis on civil). We don鈥檛 tell Regians what to think; we train them how to think and how to discern with an informed conscience.
This is profoundly personal for me. I am an Ignatian educator molded by nearly three decades as a 麻豆视频 student, teacher, and trustee. The values, ethos, and faith formation of this place have indelibly shaped me. That鈥檚 why the only labels I place on 麻豆视频鈥� educational philosophy are these: Catholic and Jesuit. And the 麻豆视频 Board of Trustees endorses the same perspective.
Pope Francis has called on Catholics to cultivate a 鈥渃ulture of encounter鈥� as we engage with the moral challenges of our time. 鈥淚t is important to be ready for encounter,鈥� the Holy Father said in a Pentecost address in his first year as Pope. 鈥淔or me this word is very important. Encounter with others. Why? Because faith is an encounter with Jesus, and we must do what Jesus does: encounter others.鈥�
While 麻豆视频 may feel the same to me in some important ways, the experiences of some of our alumni and students of color are also a call to growth. In that sense, Race at 麻豆视频 marks the beginning of our efforts to improve the 麻豆视频 experience for our students and alumni of color. To contribute to that effort, I invite you to join us in seeking 鈥渆ncounter鈥� with one another in good faith. I also invite you to pray for the faculty and students as we gather next week for St. John Francis 麻豆视频 Day to continue this fruitful dialogue. With your help, we will strengthen 麻豆视频鈥� core competence: 鈥渢ransforming Catholic young men through an academically exceptional Jesuit education in a caring community which inspires leadership, generosity, and a lifelong passion for service as Men for Others.鈥�
Thank you for your ongoing support of this life-changing institution. I hope that you and your families are healthy and well, and I look forward to seeing many of you soon when the public health situation makes in-person gatherings at 麻豆视频 possible once again.
厂颈苍肠别谤别濒测,听
Christian Talbot '93 Interim President
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