t itans

games, I took trips to the T. c . planetarium with my elementary school class. Instead of watching “ r udy,” I watched “ r emember the Titans.” n ow that I’m a few years removed from my high school experience, I realize what folks in my town meant when they referred to my alma mater, one of the largest and most diverse public schools in v irginia, as “Yale or jail.” I’ve seen it first-hand: m y former classmates who now go to elite schools and live in cool cities and my former classmates who struggle, commit crimes and die. b ut I looked to the members of the T. c . class of 2020 who dealt with the loss of one of their classmates just two months after graduation. I looked to them and saw that in their pain was a fierce resilience, and in that pain, we become Titans again, unified by loss and (more than that) a lot of love.

I often think about 3 members of the T. c . class of 2021 who have passed. I think about their friends and family and teachers. I think about how one day they were really accessible people you could call or text or bring up in conversation or go visit—and the next day, they were gone.

These days, whenever I’m home for breaks, I plan my runs as school gets out. I wear my old T. c . sweatshirts or my new n otre d ame gear, and I run past my high school, watching the sea of thousands of students flow into the street and the parking circle and the bus stops and bus bays. And I tell myself, “This run is for the Titans. This run is for the student journalists and the athletes and the theater kids and everyone in between.”

And today, in the A ce b uilding, this article is for Luis m ejia h ernandez. h e was a member of the Alexandria c ity h igh s chool class of 2022. h e was killed during a fight in front of the m c d onald’s in b radlee s hopping c enter at the end of last school year. h e would have graduated last June. Luis, someone in n otre d ame, Indiana is thinking of you.

Kate Casper (aka, Casper, Underdog or Jasmine) is from Northern Virginia, currently residing in Breen-Phillips Hall. She strives to be the best waste of your time. You can contact her at kcasper@nd.edu. The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

QuotE of tHE DAY

“It’s very important that we relearn the art of resting and relaxing. not only does it help prevent the onset of many illnesses that develop through chronic tension and worrying; it allows us to clear our minds, focus, and find creative solutions to problems.”

Thich Nhat Hanh Vietnamese monastic