Good morning.
 

Sometimes it is better to be lucky than good. Without any planning or advance collaboration, Mr. Westermann and I, independently, landed on complimentary themes for our two Chapel talks this week. 
 

As you’ll recall, on Tuesday, Mr. Westermann discussed the meaning of the lovely word, ephemeral, meaning “fleeting” or “lasting a short time.” He did so to urge you to seize the day of our limited time together, to make the most of your and our experience here at St. Christopher’s.

 
Today I am going to tell you a short story that builds on the same theme.
 

In the spring of 2019, about six and a half years ago, we were coming to the end of the 2018-2019 school year. Many of you in this room today were not Saints at the time, and those of you who were Saints were in our Lower or Middle School.
 

It had been a good year for us—I think every year is a good year, at a minimum—but if I am being totally honest, it probably was not a great year. It was hard to put your finger on it at the time, but school spirit seemed to be waning. Attendance at various events—arts performances, athletic contests, even morning Chapel—had been slipping through the school year. Guys were cutting corners—we seemed to have more discipline issues than is typical for us, and more honor violations—and for whatever reason the “vibe” or pulse on campus was not as positive as we are accustomed to at St. Christopher’s.
 

I don’t want to overstate matters here—things were not terrible, by any measure—but several of our veteran faculty members and leaders at the time were lamenting that the tone and spirit of our Upper School felt a bit off, for lack of a better term.

In the early spring of 2019, I received an email from a junior student, a member of the Class of 2020. He and several of his classmates requested a meeting with me, to discuss the very issue that I just described—the feeling that the campus mood, the buy-in and engagement from boys, the school spirit—were not as strong as they could be.
 

I met with this student and two of his classmates. We talked about a number of issues—the rise of honor offenses, the fact that guys were skipping Chapel, not showing up at major events for each other, that there was a subtle but insidious sense of apathy among many of the Upper School students. We did not have easy or obvious answers for these issues, but we at least named them, and we resolved to work together in the weeks and months ahead to address them as best as we could. 
 

Fast forward to the fall and winter of 2019. I can’t say that the campus mood did a 180 from the previous year—that would be an overstatement—but the difference was palpable. There was a discernable enthusiasm and spirit on campus. There was buy-in from the seniors all the way down to the freshmen. Attendance at a variety of events picked up significantly. Students made frequent announcements here in Chapel, encouraging participation and attendance at everything from Battle of the Brains to Robotics to Political Awareness Club to arts and athletics events. 
 

That November, with stellar leadership from our Student Council, an event that came to be known as the Greatest Pep Rally of All Time took place. The spirit of this community, the sense that anything was possible, with student leadership and engagement, had returned. And it was the seniors, the Class of 2020, along with support and commitment from the underclassmen, who engineered this turnaround. 
 

Fast forward a few months to March of 2020, and I think you all know what happened. Over spring break, we announced school closure for what we thought would be a week or two as we hoped the COVID outbreak would wane on its own. In reality, we did not come back together in person until the following fall. Those seniors, the Class of 2020, missed their entire spring—the spring play, spring athletics, Jr./Sr., Commencement, and much more.
 

I remember thinking at the time that as terrible as it was for the Class of 2020 to miss the spring of their senior year, somehow it was fitting that it was their group that had to endure that hardship—after all, they had experienced more joy, more success, more community and brotherhood in 6 months of campus life than many classes experienced in a full year.
 

So, my message to all of you, and especially to our seniors, the Class of 2026, is to do what the Class of 2020 did some six years ago—make the most of your final lap around this track. Set an example of what engagement, positivity, and school spirit can look like for our younger students, and they will follow it. Most importantly, show up for each other—go to a variety of events this year—big sporting events, for sure, but also other events that may not always receive the same kind of support. Go to concerts, plays, debates, perhaps bring the Political Awareness Club back to life this year. Moreover, be the kind of friend, teammate, and classmate that makes all of us proud.
 

And, just as Mr. Westermann said on Tuesday, know that our time together is, ultimately, ephemeral, fleeting, so do not waste it.
 

And as a post-script to that meeting in my office in the spring of 2019, here’s a picture of the young man who set up the meeting. His name is Walker Wallace, he’s number 88 in this photo, taken this past Saturday in Charlottesville. After St. Christopher’s, Walker attended and graduated from Cornell University, earning a bachelor’s degree in applied economics and management, as well as a national championship in lacrosse this past spring. 
 

Choosing to make the most of his ephemeral time and his considerable athletic and leadership ability, Walker is using a final year of athletic eligibility to play football for the University of Virginia. Standing next to Walker is number 30, Henry Omohundro, STC Class of 2024. On the bike behind them, is number 2, Andre Greene, Jr. STC Class of 2022. Joining these three Saints on the UVA football team soon will be Gavin Johnson, STC Class of 2025 and brother of senior Colin.
 

In the end, gentlemen, it does not matter if your passion is football, mathematics, service, writing, or something entirely different. Pursue it with enthusiasm and full commitment, and you will be amazed where it can take you and, by extension, the entire St. Christopher’s community. Amen.