New England
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Students pray the Rosary in the Chapel

For this, the final day of classes, the students on the New England High School Summer Program were filled with academic ardor, fully prepared to make the most of their two remaining classes. As always, the morning began with Mass and breakfast, but this time the kitchen changed things up and served waffles with whipped cream and maple syrup from the College’s own maple trees!

Then, it was off to Mathematics, where students presented Propositions 16, 29, and 32 from Book 1 of Euclid’s Elements. “I got to do Prop 29, and I absolutely nailed it,” exclaimed programmer Paloma G. “Working with [prefect] Pedro DaSilva (’25) was really helpful, and I definitely would be very lost without his help.”

Since it was Friday, lunch was fish and chips, served with roasted squash and tartar sauce. Students sat around their lunch tables, talking about favorite experiences from the program. Then, everyone bid a heartfelt goodbye to programmer Philip S., who unfortunately had to leave Northfield early, cheering and gathering around his table to wish him farewell.

Last Class
  • Students discuss the text in section
  • Students discuss the text in section
  • Two listen to a third make a point
  • Students examine the text
  • Students discuss the text in section
  • A student listens to another make a point about the text
  • The students listen to someone out of frame making a point
  • The students listen to someone out of frame making a point
  • Three on one side of the table consider a point
  • The tutor and students at one end of the table consider a point
  • View down one side of the table
  • Four on one side of the table
  • Five listen to someone out of frame

After lunch, students rallied themselves for their final class, discussing Flannery O’Connor’s Everything That Rises Must Converge, which follows the thoughts of a young man as he rides a bus with his mother. The riveting short story, in classic O’Connor fashion, drew students into the narrative and shocked all with its tragic ending.

In their discussions, students considered the story’s themes of irony, prejudice, and guilt. “It was a really frustrating story because both the mother and the son were in the wrong,” noted programmer Madeline B. “Even though Julian (the son) was intent on being contrary to his mother, he had a very similar stubbornness and his own delusional view of the world.” Once the class was over, all the students received some special parting gifts from the prefects — a TAC backpack filled with goodies, a t-shirt, and a certificate of completion.

And so the Summer Program is coming to an end — but not quite yet! Be sure to check the Summer Blog tomorrow to read about the group trip to a favorite local ice-cream store, the long-awaited dance, and the inevitable goodbyes that come with the program’s end!