Others may take the actions of a small percentage of us and form a stereotypical opinion of our entire school.

Each Malvern man is important: he can alter the image of the school and the lives of his brothers.

As Malvern students, we hear of the brotherhood often. We are connected to each other as brothers and by our actions. Upperclassmen set the example and the culture that the rest of the school follows. When today’s freshmen become seniors, they will likely pass down that same culture they were introduced to at Malvern.

For the betterment of the brotherhood, each other, and Malvern’s longevity, we must act as individuals to create the best possible Malvern culture.

Members of the Editorial Board agree there are widespread and conflicting stereotypes of Malvern.[perfectpullquote align=”right” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]Malvern’s brotherhood extends to holding each other accountable to act in the best interest of the school and each other.[/perfectpullquote]
Some think Malvern is simply a jock school for rich white teenagers from the Main Line. Some think Malvern students are degrading towards women. Some think all Malvern students are spoiled and ungrateful.

While the veracity of these stereotypes vary, we can’t ignore negative views of Malvern. Each Malvern student has the power to work to change these views. An individual’s actions can go a long way, but one person should not be the lone actor.

We should be constantly working to reverse these stereotypes and not make the mistakes that may otherwise reinforce them.

Members of the Editorial Board agree that we have seen Malvern students at certain times show signs of great character, when we may not have expected it.

We have seen Malvern students pick each other up when someone is down, respect each other’s decisions and not peer pressure each other, and genuinely wish the best for their brothers.

Even if a student acts to prolong negative stereotypes, his character is likely stronger than that action. But such actions collectively determine our reputation.

Malvern’s brotherhood extends to holding each other accountable to act in the best interest of the school and each other.

We often do a great job with this, but there are some times when we can do better.

Our reputation should be rooted in the Augustinian values of truth, unity, and love.

We can be honest in our representation of our school and ourselves. We shouldn’t be someone we are not just to meet stereotypes and impress another person.

Truth ties in with education. We can work diligently in our studies, as most Malvern students do. Malvern has great academic, athletic, and arts programs. Athletes regularly get distinguished honors or star in the play.

We can make Malvern a united, inclusive environment. We don’t all have to be the same, and we can recognize and appreciate each other’s differences. A Malvern student’s race, socioeconomic background, or sexual orientation does not preclude him from the brotherhood, and it generally never does.

There’s nothing wrong with friendly banter, but banter should never hurt someone. Inclusion and empathy is a must at our school.

Truth, Unity, Love: We are a community of love and unity and we must stay true to those values.

Malvern’s brotherhood condenses to love. Brotherhood means loving and respecting each other, but the brotherhood does not exist only inside the ring road. Malvern’s brotherhood and Augustinian love extend to all people. Malvern does a great job of explaining this to us, and we can act it out.

Perhaps St. Augustine said it best, “What does love look like? It has the hands to help others. It has the feet to hasten to the poor and needy. It has eyes to see misery and want. It has the ears to hear the sighs and sorrows of men. That is what love looks like.”

The Editorial Board agrees we have seen a lot of Malvern students live out St. Augustine’s legacy in their action. Whether it be in the classroom, on the field, or in an activity, each Malvern student is capable of making his school proud in some way.

Diving into and embracing those talents creates a culture of excellence that cannot be destroyed by outside stereotyping. Every Malvern student can act to develop this great character and help his brothers do the same.

When St. Augustine was around our age, he did not engage in the most moral behaviour nor was he even Catholic. But St. Augustine grew in his morality, and we can all grow morally and as brothers.

We own and create Malvern’s reputation. It is ours and will likely outlast the time any student spends here, but that reputation can be built in a single act any Malvern student makes.

Editorial Policy