Off The Record

Coincidentally, we saw an article not too long ago on just this subject. On a lower note, recent accusations of less than sterling behavior from fellow Johnnies have contributed to this introspective endeavor.

What does it mean to be a
Johnnie? Succinctly put: tradition,
respect and brotherhood.

These things sum up the essence of what it means to be a Johnnie.

Now, obviously being a part of the student body has certain ideas, but I think we are more than that. We are a community, a
brotherhood.

Tradition is about realizing that you are not the first here, nor are you the only one. No longer are your actions just a reflection on you, but on us all. One need only look at the monastery, its intricate honeycomb, to understand this.

You walk in the footsteps of 150 years of tradition and scholarship. Go out to the graveyard sometime. Walk the path out to the Stella Maris chapel. Living here is more than just going to a school.

We are the keepers of history, a legacy of the men who have come before us. Respect is more than
being nice to others or showing a nice face around your floor
resident.

Respect starts with yourself, treating yourself with dignity and taking pride in who you are, what your actions say. It also, of course, includes others.

It means treating them with kindness and deference and
realizing that they are people just like you. It means knowing when to speak and when to listen and
recognizing how much you stand to gain from others.

Brotherhood speaks directly to community. We are all, at the end of the day, in this together. It’s not just our alumni-network, but it’s the way we hold open doors for each other, chat idly with strangers and take the safety of others
seriously.

As someone coming from a very individualistic area, this kind of community is overwhelming, that people support each other so
openly and readily.

It’s beyond this campus, too, knowing that every generation helps the next. This is not an
attempt to moralize at you or tell you to shape up.

This is just a reflection on what our name means, a reminder that it is more than just a name that we carry. We carry the past, the
present and the future with us.

It goes without saying that we should care for this legacy and tread lightly on the bones of
history.

What that means to each of us is different, but it stands that we should never forget these simple truths. Respect, tradition and brotherhood. That is being a
Johnnie.

This is the opinion of Greg Cook, a SJU senior.