Dear upper school community,
Recent events have plagued the reputation of our school. Though we have gone through most of the academic year with little trouble, it only takes a few moments of poor decision-making to taint a year. We understand that most of the school has done their part in acting as they know they are supposed to, but the brotherhood that Haverford preaches is lacking.
To know what that means, we’ll start by defining what brotherhood is not. Brotherhood is not covering for your friends when they do something bad. Brotherhood is not lying to protect someone from the consequences they should face. Brotherhood is not allowing a peer to cheat. Brotherhood is not giving a friend a short-term solution to what will ultimately turn into a lasting problem. Pulling a weed is of no use if the roots remain firm.
Brotherhood is sacrificing the comfort of the present moment to better the future of a peer.
Instead, brotherhood is letting a friend know when they are making a mistake. Brotherhood is calling people out when they are crossing a line. Brotherhood is holding each other accountable. Brotherhood is sacrificing the comfort of the present moment to better the future of a peer. There is a brotherhood where you can defend your friends, care for each other, but also choose the right thing. Trading a friendship for actions that hurt and deceive others or a community are never worth it.
It is important to remember these things as we go about our lives. While some actions may seem small, they can give way to much bigger issues. By doing the little things right, we ensure that the foundation of our school remains strong. It is the responsibility of the whole school to uphold the standards. From the simplest norm to the biggest rule, it is up to us to sustain the pillars of our community.
Sincerely,
The Signet Society
Noah Kanefsky, Phineas Manogue, Ian Rosenzweig, Connor Simpkins, Milan Varma, Mason Wiegand, Conor McDonald, Colin Decker, Josh Williams, all ’25
