For many of my Wabash brothers, worlds were rocked when they heard that Luke Borinstein '19 had died in a plane crash on Friday. A rising sophomore and a friend to many of my acquaintances in the Class of 2019, he has been spoken highly by his peers as not just an enterprising academic, but also as a person who was friendly to anyone who met him.
The unforeseeable circumstances in which he died, along with his mother and sister, makes this tragedy even more difficult to accept.
It is horrific when anyone dies in the sudden manner that they did, and heartbreaking in how the family has been affected. But when it is our own, we, as Wabash, all seem to feel some resumption of unity and friendship between Wabash Men, as we come together to mourn.
I use the word "renewal" in a specific way. I did not know Luke personally, nor did I interact with him inside or outside of the classroom that I can remember. He was not in what I now consciously label my "circle" of friends at the College.
I believe that it is not conducive to use his death as an opportunity to be sarcastic about "unity" between me and my peers at Wabash. The bright sentiments I have seen regarding Luke's character would suggest something different.
During this time, the reflection I have seen from the Wabash community has called me to expand on a belief that I have expressed before: Wabash, as a whole, is a Brotherhood. It is said to be a Brotherhood that supports its own at all times, and not just through selective whim or personal gain.
In my career at Wabash, Luke is the second enrolled student who has died unexpectedly. The first was Aronno Hague '14, who committed suicide in early 2014 while he was visiting family in New York. Even though I did not know him either as a freshman, I remember the way in which Wabash united after his death. For what was a brief moment in time, everyone who knew him came together as a whole to grieve his loss.
However, we carried on with business as usual afterwards, going back to our studies and resuming our competition with each other. But it is still important to believe that Aronno's memory has resonated, and has done so through the inspiration of the Wabash students and faculty he worked with.
It is no doubt that the same feelings we all felt at the time of Aronno's passing will be evident when our peers are back on campus in two weeks, saddened and confused by Luke's absence.
It is my gut conclusion that in these times of grief and unity, Wabash shows its true colors. We come together to demonstrate our solidarity, and to express our gratitude for the talents and perspective that this place nurtures. Our sense of the Brotherhood has a renewal of sorts. It is a jolt of humility, and a realization that we need each other to succeed, regardless of our academic or personal differences.
In talking about these observations, I do not mean to sound critical. This is regardless of the subjects being negative in their nature. Instead, I want to assert that Wabash Men should always show loyalty and faith to each other, no matter the environment or the timeframe.
Our additudes and conduct as Gentlemen are to be a way of life, everyday. This unity should not have to be seen as a renewal, but as a constancy to how we live and work.
Think about this as we lament Luke's passing, and as we deal with our own individual struggles. It is because we should all actively live by our motto, and honor the higher motive behind what we do as Wabash.
Wabash Always Fights, and brotherhood makes us strong.
