A Fitting Finale

Rain brought the last recreation period of the New England Summer Program indoors yesterday, and students split up to enjoy whatever activities interested them. In the gym, programmers played basketball and swam in the pool, while in the girls’ residentl hall, a relaxing spa day took place in the Commons, complete with music, tea, and preparations for the evening’s festivities.

After recreation, everyone showered and dressed in their best for the banquet to follow. In the dining hall, prefects, programmers, tutors, and staff all sat together to enjoy a beautiful meal of steak, mashed potatoes, and asparagus at tables decked in the College’s finest linen and glassware. Chaplain Rev. Greg Markey said grace, and once all were seated and served, Program Director and Tutor Dr. Paul Shields rose to give a final address. 

Dr. Shields thanked the students for their commitment and zeal throughout the program, reflecting on its deeper purpose. The purpose of the College, he said, is to make a good beginning in the life of wisdom, and the Summer Program helps students come to a “beginning of this beginning, a brief experience of the road that must be taken in order to reach wisdom.” Following these remarks, New England Director of Admissions John Jost thanked all who made the Summer Program such a success. 

After the banquet, the group headed to the Our Mother of Perpetual Help Chapel to pray a final Rosary before the much-anticipated dance. St. Frassati Student Center was transformed for the occasion, with colored lights, a beautifully canopied ceiling, and a fully rigged stage area for live music. The night began with entertainment, opening with a delightfully ridiculous skit put on by the prefects, called Doctor! Doctor! Next, a group of programmers hailing from Pennsylvania’s St. Gregory the Great Academy played folk music for the crowd, followed by programmer Chuck H. on the guitar with some solo pieces, then joined by prefects Alexie Forrester (’26), Vitor Satechi, and Vinnie Buelk (both ’28) for the first dancing songs of the night. 

Soon, the dance floor was covered with couples, and prefects and programmers danced the night away, putting to good use their many dance lessons of the previous week. As the night drew on, the dancing gave way to a slideshow of photographs from the program, prompting cheers, applause, and laughter. “Balance is important in nature, and important in daily life,” remarked Allie G. as she reflected on the week. “The TAC Summer Program really drives that home with the balance of deep intellectual conversation and lighthearted fun … and a little tomfoolery, occasionally.”

Finally, the night came to a close around midnight, and all the boys escorted the girls back to the reseidential hall one last time. For some, it was time to make their farewells as they departed early the next morning. Check the Summer Blog later today for a recap of the last morning the programmers will spend together, and their bittersweet goodbyes!

More photos from the High School Summer Program

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