By Billy Reardon ‘23

Well, here we are, the last hurrah. When the faculty said to me, “High school goes by in a blink of an eye”, they really meant it. I remember my first day of school at Brother Rice being super nervous about trying to get used to the new environment. We had to go right to the gym to hear the famous “Doc Mathius Speech.” Finding my locker was another big task, walking through the long hallways and trying to find #758. Out of nowhere, all of these upperclassmen stepped in and helped me find my locker.

During the first couple of weeks, I stepped out of my comfort zone and started talking to different people. I immediately felt like I was home,  and, truly, Brother Rice was and still is my second home. My freshman year was ruined by the COVID-19 pandemic. The entire time during the 2nd semester I was in class through a screen and couldn’t see my friends at all. Freshman year was not as good as I was expecting, but it got better!

My sophomore year was when I started to be heavily involved in the Brother Rice community. I decided to follow in my brother’s footsteps and join BRTV. I met a lot of people, and I am grateful to call them some of my closest friends. I then was invited to the National Honor Society, which was a huge honor for me. It made me feel good that I excelled in my grades at Brother Rice in just two years. I joined the Student Council just 1 month later, and I was elected as secretary of the Student Council.

We have done so much during my years of Student Council, from participating in the Polar Plunge to packing up food at St. Bernadettes in Evergreen Park for citizens in Ukraine. We have made many students involved by having them play in extracurricular events like the bean bag tournament or the turkey bowl.

Sophomore year ended and I was an upperclassman! I couldn’t believe I was three years into my high school career. I started participating in the BRTV game days featuring the iconic orange blazer which I dreamed of wearing when I was a prospective student. I started calling football, basketball, and hockey games. In January of 2022, I was given the opportunity to call the Brother Rice vs. St. Rita hockey game with the CCHL Network. Throughout my three years of communications, this was by far the best experience.

I also participated in Kairos 158 in January 2022 and led Kairos 160 in October, which is one of my top memories. I met a lot of new people throughout the retreat. I recommend all students who have not gone on Kairos to go! I volunteered for the Class of 2022 Graduation Ceremony for NHS and thought this will be us next year, and here I am typing my senior year article.

Senior year popped up in a blink of an eye. I realized back in August, I don’t have that much time here, which upset me knowing that I wouldn’t be a current Crusader. I am still shocked at how quickly this year is coming to a close. To future Crusaders, get involved as much as possible and excel in your classes and make the honor roll. Soak it all in while you can, because in a blink of an eye, it will be the last hurrah.