Communications Update #6, sent 3/20/2020, 4:30 p.m.

Wow!  What a week!

 

As we complete our first week of E-Learning, it is important to reflect and recognize all of the challenges and the graces of these past seven days.  We are incredibly grateful to our faculty and students who have adapted to this new learning environment. Pivoting to a nontraditional means of doing school comes with a new set of instructions and standards. Together, we are facing questions, challenges and opportunities none of us could have imagined even just last week. Given Governor Pritzker's directive this afternoon, Loyola will continue its E-Learning protocol until the start of spring break on Thursday, April 9. At this time, we plan to resume classes on campus on Monday, April 20.

 

As we reflect on these days, we are consoled by the many examples of Ramblers stepping up to the moment and responding with great grace. We are not surprised. The purpose of this message is to remind you of what we have known all along—our formation in the Jesuit way has prepared us for these days. Like St. Ignatius Loyola and his first Jesuit companions, we know that God is to be experienced in all things and our mission in life is to respond to God's invitation to be women and men for others in every circumstance and in all the challenges of life. You are prepared because flexibility is at the core of Jesuit education and we have sought to develop in you an intellectual agility always open to a new question.  If St. Ignatius were alive today, he would be cheering us on with a hearty "You've got this!" or at least its equivalent in Spanish or Latin!

 

The Loyola Academy community is full of reflective and self-aware people who know that ingenuity and adaptability are not simply skills that the marketplace has come to value, but are qualities of people of faith, confident that God is always with them.  Seeing our students and teachers working together in Zoom classrooms or on a threaded discussion board shows us that the absence of physical proximity will not slow us down.  

 

In all of our transitions this week, we are reminded that we ought to remain rooted in our core values. We are companions of Jesus and our view is global, long-term and focused on eternity. Twists and turns in our pilgrimage are to be expected. It's how we respond that matters. We are called to be compassionate and generous in the ways we share what we have and who we are with those around us. We aspire to be women and men for others and now we have an opportunity to show it.   

 

As Ramblers, we aim to meet our RIPLOC goals by graduation day.  Consider how we might see RIPLOC in light of the current times:

 

Our faith informs the challenges of these days and shapes our response. Our informed conscience leads us to actions that contribute to the common good and put love into action. In these days of distance learning and social distancing, have you included prayer as part of your daily routine? Have you taken the time to pray the Examen sent at the end of each learning day? Have you participated in any of our daily Mass broadcasts? 

 

Critical thinking, thoughtful reflection, research and a discerning approach to questions are characteristic of Ramblers. As you take in the steady stream of information and news, do you use your learning to sift through the noise and arrive at rational, well-reasoned positions? Are the choices you are making throughout the day driven by sound logic?

 

Our bodies are a gift from God and so caring for them is an act of gratitude and love. Have you made time each day for exercise? Have you spent time outdoors enjoying nature? Have you made good choices about your diet and found a healthy daily schedule?

 

Be outside. Enjoy nature.  View exercise as a pleasure and not a chore.  Move your body as a means to stoke your mind.  

 

We are women and men for others. This means that we have learned the fundamental Christian truth that our mission in life is to share our lives generously in service to others. As St. Ignatius teaches us, love ought to manifest itself in deeds more than words. Have you practiced social distancing this week as an act of love for those who are most vulnerable to COVID-19? Can you see limitations on your freedom these days as a loving act in service to the common good? 

The silver lining of our times reminds us to say "I love you" to a loved one.  It asks us to express gratitude to those you have not yet thanked for something or for being who they are. Do something—even if it is small—to make this world a bit better or someone else's burden a little lighter. Be creative in the ways you put love into action.

St. Ignatius believed that God can be experienced in all things. As a result, Ramblers step into the world with curiosity and confidence eager to engage challenges and questions as opportunities for growth and connection to God. Flexibility, creativity and innovation are qualities of those who are Jesuit educated. As you faced the challenges of this week, were you able to see them as opportunities for a creative response? Are you patient with the process, trusting that together with your classmates and teachers we are learning in new ways otherwise not part of our experience?

Our commitment to doing justice calls us to move out of ourselves and to be more understanding, accepting and generous with others. We recognize that there are justice implications inherent in Christ's mandate that we love one another. Do I recognize that my daily choices impact others? How might I help those who are most vulnerable during this time of challenge?

 

While we're away, we're still LA.