Letter to the Senior Class

BY LIAM EIFERT

Genesis chapter 1 verse 2 reads, “Now the Earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the spirit of God was hovering over the waters.” The word “deep” is translated from the Hebrew word “Tehom,” referring to the dark, disordered oceans at the moment of creation. This marks the end of our personal Tehom. I am no longer formless or empty in any sense of the words. The next few years will answer the less important questions about what major or career, but right now we should all be proud to be ourselves and also to be careful Irish. Yet, what to make of the end of Tehom, this curious reduction in the unknowns of my future? Some of the dimensions of change have collapsed. Our stories are already partially written. With the same sadness felt at the sunset of birthdays, this joyous celebration too contains a somber overtone. I don’t mean to invoke an overly negative tone here, but in my experience, it is best to acknowledge the tragedy of the moment if one ever hopes to dance without reservation.

This is a beginning and also an end. High school is over, and the rest of our lives will start before you know it. Right now, we are in one of those fleeting moments between great shifts in our life. I urge you to use the liminal space of the next few months to do all the things you’ve been putting off because of how busy you’ve been. I ask also, that you reflect on your time here, because just as “the spirit of God was hovering over the waters” in that verse of Genesis, so too has He hovered over our time here. Over our sports teams, how he has blessed us with state titles and bonds that will transcend high school. Over all of us, who stuck it out for a global pandemic here. Over our performing arts, which has weathered so much change these past few years but are still acting and singing and thriving. I know I’ll never forget Joseph Mariani’s rap at the SpongeBob musical. As a class, this is perhaps our only universal experience: despite our differences, we share a common Grace.

This is still my article though, so I’m going to take a moment to detail how He has hovered over my time here. Writing for the school newspaper has kept me engaged with the school community and honed my wit. I really appreciate the opportunity to take independent math classes through Ball State and I’d like to thank the math department and Mrs. Ford in particular for providing them. My other classes have all fostered academic growth and curiosity. The two teachers who most impacted me on my journey were Ms. Wilson and Mr. Blanchet. Running varsity cross country and track has been an all consuming pursuit. It’s taken everything I’ve had to compete at a high level for four years. Taking on a big leadership role these past two years has meant a lot to me and I hope that I’ve had a positive im- pact on the younger runners.My deepest fear throughout these four years has been squandering my time here at Cathedral. I know that I haven’t not because of any external awards or achievements, but because of how my own discipline and character have developed.

I am ready for it to be over, but I think that like many of you, I am nervous to leave high school. It feels wrong to me to actually complete this experience. In some ways, I find myself lingering at the finish line hesitant to take the final step. Maybe this is what they meant by senioritis. If it is, I think we should understand it to mean more than just entitled laziness. It’s a manifestation of the love for this place and the uncertainty for what comes next. It won’t be the same community that tends to us anymore. It will be very hard to find one as good as this one. May God allow us to find our way back every once in a while.