By Madeline Playford
Are you excited for Loreto Day? As excited as you were last year? The year before? With Loreto Day fast approaching, it got me thinking – am I as excited as I previously was? I remember that in Year 7 when the whole Loreto Day concept was new and mysterious, I was conscientious about returning my raffle tickets, generously contributing to Mornane’s Chocolate Wheel and scrambling to find loose change around the house to donate. Badges were the craze; well before beads and ribbons were used, and I remember proudly pinning them on my dress and letting the colourful paper convey to the public that we are a very justice-centred school.
Who could forget the legendary Barry Disco that let you rip out your dance moves in the dark, or the delicious Ward Krispy Kreme stall that I justified buying from by running to the line? Mornane’s Chocolate Wheel has always been my downfall—giving away my coins in the hope of winning and being devastated when I didn’t. Though, this never stopped me from coming back again the next year with renewed enthusiasm. And let’s not forget that it’s a day of absolute joy to spend with friends!
Yet, somehow I am starting to think that something has become lost over time. No longer do I hear the buzz in the corridors about what stalls to hit first, or maths girls debating their prospect of winning the 1st place prize for raffle tickets. Not only has raffle ticket returns and contributions to House stalls significantly decreased, but I feel as though we are no longer connecting to the cause on a deeper level.
Loreto Day is a significant Feast Day in our calendar, raising needed funds for those experiencing inequality every day. Over the past few weeks, Year 11 have been tirelessly campaigning, raising awareness, presenting real-life case studies and trying to create an energetic atmosphere around this monumental day. Despite this, as a school we are struggling to collect raffle tickets and contributions for the House stalls. Could it be that our community has lost the spirit of Loreto Day? It’s easy to become desensitised to the injustice occurring in the world, especially considering that we are saturated with information about the catastrophic effects of natural disasters, climate change and trafficking, to name a few. Have we become complacent with the knowledge that there are others worse off than us, or have we decided our voice isn’t loud enough to make a meaningful difference? We have pushed to improve practices in order to become more sustainable, such as the shift from paper badges to ribbons or specialised t-shirts to mufti. Perhaps we have forgotten that this day isn’t about us, but rather about raising money to affect change on a larger scale.
When this article is released, we will be very close to this celebratory day; our day of community action, empathy and most of all spirit as we raise funds for the Baby Milk Project. Hopefully our excitement will be building and anticipation for the House stalls will be growing. Let’s reignite that Year 7 enthusiasm, and when the bell rings, be part of that stampede for first in line for Barry Hot Chips.
Make sure that your pockets jingle at the start of the day and are silent at the end, knock yourself out on junk food and dance like no one is watching. Most of all, rejoice knowing that somewhere, on a different continent, we will be improving the life of a mother and her baby.
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