
Keep Benedictine on Sheppard St


We, the alumni, friends, parents and supporters of
Benedictine High School would like to voice our opinion against the move of the
school to the Abbey. Previously, alumni
were polled and asked if moving the school would be a viable option for the
success of the school. The vote was
taken and the result was no, thus moving the school to the Abbey would be to
directly disregard the opinions of a majority of the alumni. The physical location of the school on Sheppard Street
serves as a convenient place for students and
parents. Parents who work within the
city of Richmond can drop their young men off at the school which is conveniently
located in the fan. These parents often
have their daughters to go to St. Gertrude’s; if the school were to move then
the parents would have to find alternative ways of transporting their
children. In addition, the close
location to St. Gertrude’s provides a social connect for the students, moving
the school would clearly impact the interaction between these two institutions. We, as alumni and supporters of the school, understand that
Benedictine is a school that is steeped in tradition. Many of the men who attend or have attended
the school walked the same halls that their fathers, grandfathers, and even
great grandfathers walked. Many have
left physical signs of their presences in the school such as the framed pictures
that don the halls or the signature of their names on the rafters in the
gymnasium. Some of these marks are not
so obvious, but exist only in the memories of the students. Their first figure dance, the grandparents
Christmas party, their graduation day, basketball games; to destroy a place
where these memories occurred would be devastating. While the building may be worth $7.8 million,
no price can be put on the century of tradition and
memories tied to the original building. The “Vision 2012” strategic plan, whose members consisted of
school trustees, alumni, parents, students, faculty and staff and the Monks of
Mary Mother of the Church Abbey, recommended that we “Invest in the school’s
rich history by renovating facilities at Sheppard Street.” By signing this petition we agree with what
the committee passed and are in favor of keeping the school’s historic location
on Sheppard Street.
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