Productive change requires an escape from the “Johnnie bubble”

The recent news of the competition occurring in Pat Hall has left our campuses in shock. I am not the only person to be absolutely outraged by the situation.

We as a community, and Johnnies in particular, need to get out of our “Johnnie bubble.” This bubble keeps us isolated from the “real world” and allows this culture to persist. It is ridiculous that there are people on our campuses that have information and are refusing to talk. The residents of Pat Hall who have information and are refusing to share it are part of the problem. You are perpetrating the culture of silence. It is time to break the cycle. Someone must do it. Please, for the love of everything our campuses stand for, share your information.

To those who are not taking the situation seriously, you are also part of the problem. Stop removing The Record from highly trafficked areas, and don’t laugh at the articles written about it. This competition is a wakeup call; take it. Listen to members of your community.

I don’t think I have to mention that this competition goes against the Benedictine values that we, as a COMMUNITY, claim to uphold. This situation shows blatant disregard for a number of these values, specifically respect for persons.

It is time to pop our “Johnnie bubble.” Break the cycle of silence. Stand up to your friends. Do the bare minimum of respecting people as people and stop dehumanizing them. The state of the world is already bad enough, stop making it worse.