New Place, New Experiences

For students on the California One-Week High School Summer Program, Monday began with the excitement of waking up in a new place, ready for new experiences! Many students attended the 7:15 a.m. Mass in Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity Chapel, followed by breakfast in St. Joseph Commons. From there, they made their way to St. Cecilia Hall for the last of the various orientation sessions, which began yesterday.

This time, the programmers met the tutors who will be guiding their discussions throughout the week. Dr. John Finley, a tutor at the College and the Summer Program’s director, spoke about the importance and the purpose of the Discussion Method, informing students that they should, “Expect disagreement and not be afraid to speak.” The programmers sat and listened, gaining knowledge of the classroom before they experienced it for themselves.

Afterward, many students attended the 9:00 a.m. Mass, where Program Chaplain Rev. Miguel Batres, O.Praem. (’08),  spoke about how we “have been given the seed of grace and thus have the potency to all be saints.”

With those poignant words to guide them, students were ready for their first class. Together with their tutors and classmates, they grappled with Sophocles’ Antigone, discussing the play’s namesake and her character, and judging where her duty should fall: to country or to conscience?

After class, it was time for section photos (look for those in a forthcoming post!) and lunch, followed by the second class of the day. Students returned to the classrooms to discuss Euclid’s Elements. They wrestled with the meanings of his definitions in hopes of forming a foundation upon which they can build throughout the program.

The first day of classes now complete, students have moved on to the recreation period and this evening’s myriad activities. Come back to the Summer Program Blog Tuesday morning for a full recap!

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