President's Perch

In a full year consumed by a pandemic, I was lucky to have such a fantastic community to shed light on such unfortunate circumstances. In the beginning, I was furious. I felt that I had been wronged, and that my high school life was being stolen right in front of my face. My anger proved self-destructive; such a poor outlook only served to heighten my ire. Over the summer I dreaded the inevitable return to school - doomed to stare at a screen for hours on end while trying to muster the motivation for schoolwork. Ironically, re-entering the more structured lifestyle of school ultimately helped shift my view from toxic and negative to hopeful and positive. Interacting with fellow Abbey Boys helped me realize that my emotions were misplaced; hearing everyone’s nearly identical grievances reminded me that I wasn’t the only one inconvenienced by COVID. Furthermore, my problems were merely that: inconveniences. Others had much more on the line than Six Flags being shut down or mask requirements in Chipotle.

Each passing day gave me hope, not only for the circumstances of COVID, but also the unwavering spirit of St. Anselm’s.

Upon returning, I was greatly impressed by how productive many of you were during quarantine, and I regretted not making better use of my days at home. In reflecting on my time spent cooped up, it dawned on me that nothing would change the past, but it was in our hands to influence the future. There’s a chance that I may be biased, but I think the IHC did a fantastic job dealing with the cards which we were dealt. Every meeting was full of great new ideas, desire to serve the school, and occasional bouts of headbutting. Each passing day gave me hope, not only for the circumstances of COVID, but also the unwavering spirit of St. Anselm’s. Fearing that such a break from ‘normal’ would have changed the essence of the Abbey, I was comforted to overhear the same humorous eye-roll inducing conversations as before. Today, the world seems to truly be returning to what it was before, even if at a snail’s pace.

It’s crazy to think that I’ve spent 7 full years studying formulas, memorizing equations, and up until last year, forgetting to do lunch cleanup (sorry) within these walls.

The day I wrote this, I took a 1 hour and 27 minute drive to Hagerstown for my vaccine; seeing so many eager people in that line makes me excited to see what comes next. Just as the pandemic nears its end (I hope), so is my time as President, a senior, and, most dear to me, a student at St. Anselm’s. It’s crazy to think that I’ve spent 7 full years studying formulas, memorizing equations, and up until last year, forgetting to do lunch cleanup (sorry) within these walls. Though I’m sad to leave all this behind, I’m excited to see what the future holds for St. Anselm’s. I have great faith in the class of ‘22 to take the reins, and that confidence extends to every Form after that as well. Writing this has been painful, as it requires admission that I’m closing such a beloved chapter of my life. But just like my view of COVID, my energy is better spent celebrating the memories and enjoying the last few days I have. Jay is going to rub his temples at the length of this letter, so I’ll wrap it up. Thank you again to everyone who made these years so wonderful - I’ll remember you as I accept my Nobel Prize.

Signing off,

Luca Smith
Form VI
IHC President

P.S. - I would like to extend a special thank you to the administration and everyone else that works every day to keep the school from falling apart. Our quality of daily life wouldn’t be possible without you all.