I could go on and on about how the “Gonzaga brotherhood” is the coolest thing since sliced bread, but I won’t because it would be a misrepresentation of Gonzaga. Before my senior year, I had a conversation with Mr. Michael Hanagan, associate dean of admissions and financial aid, and he imparted some knowledge that helped me understand why I attend school every day.
In simple terms, Mr. Hanagan said, “I don’t think that Gonzaga is a brotherhood; the relationship that you have with the members of our community is love, and it’s nothing to be ashamed about.”
After that, I gave this “love” a lot of thought. It’s not the kind of love you find in rom-coms or on dating websites; love is the hundreds of shirts torn off at the start of every fourth quarter, love is the endless hours spent in office hours by students trying to improve their grades, love is the ongoing debate over whether Maryland or Virginia is superior and love is even Mr. Cerra taking a freshman’s phone and giving him JUG. The most important lesson I took away from my time on Eye Street is that love, even if it may not be a masculine thing, is what keeps Gonzaga going.
I felt as though I gave my community an endless amount of love during my first three years on campus but received none in return. I participated in a ton of clubs and sports and thought I knew all of my classmates, but I didn’t fit into any particular clique at Gonzaga, and I felt cut off from my peers. But after hearing Mr. Hanagan’s words, I understood that I wasn’t truly loving others and that I needed to change that during my senior year, which, to put it mildly, paid off.
I believe I have done everything I can this year to show my love for every Gonzaga community member. I’m a member of the booster club, I facilitate retreats, I oversee several clubs, I stick around after class to chat with the teachers, and I’m even in a one-act play.
Even if others don’t reciprocate my love, I’ve come to understand that I am in charge of my destiny at Gonzaga and that loving my classmates is what makes them say they love Gonzaga. Although it took some time for me to experience that “waking up” moment, I feel that I can leave this school with a legacy of giving all of my love to the purple-and-white. I have never been happier than I have in my four years on campus.
So, ultimately, I learned that always loving those around me with an undying passion is the one lesson Gonzaga taught me. Finally, I feel like I am a part of the community, and I believe that if anyone feels alienated from it, they should continue to love everyone and everything around them until they are unable to give anything more.
Carol Corgan • May 19, 2023 at 12:59 pm
Wyatt–Fantastic piece. It is love like yours that creates and sustains the community we have. It is genuinely Christ-like.