All-College Seminar on Two Coasts

The All-College Seminar is a semi-annual tradition in which students, tutors, and other staff members break out into randomized small groups to discuss a text not included in the curriculum. These groups consist of an assortment of students from all four classes — freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and seniors — and a team of tutors to help guide the conversation. This tradition unites the community in a shared endeavor for an evening and gives students the opportunity to interact with their peers from different classes in an academic setting.

Undset in New England

On a quintessential autumn evening, students on the New England campus trekked to St. Gianna Molla Hall to discuss Norwegian author Sigrid Undset’s short novel, Gunnar’s Daughter. Sections discussed the book’s themes of vengeance and forgiveness, considering the actions of the main character, Vigdis Gunnarsdatter, as she spends her entire life seeking revenge against the man who wronged her. Over the course of the evening, students considered justice and morality as viewed from opposing pagan and Christian perspectives and deliberated about the consequences of Vigdis’s actions as they affect not only herself, but her family and enemies as well. 

Plato in California

In California, Plato’s Euthyphro was the topic of discussion. This short, punchy reading follows Socrates’ conversation with a man named Euthyphro, who is on his way to court to testify against his father. The dialogue delves into the issue of piety: are things pious because the gods love them, or do the gods love things because they are pious? For an hour and a half, students discussed this question and other topics of interest, analyzing Euthyphro’s character and his motives, and comparing divine piety to filial piety.

To finish the evening, attendees on both coasts gathered for a pizza party — New Englanders in St. Frassati Student Center, Californians in St. Joseph Commons — to continue the conversations over pizza and drinks. “I really appreciate this coming-together of the school for all-school seminar. Each student brings their own experience; but even more so, each class, each year, also has their own unique experiences,” observed Anna Reynolds (CA‘29). “To be able to interact with them at their different levels of experience and familiarity with the curriculum is so enlightening”.

More All-College Seminar photos from California …

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… and New England!