Orientations and Introductions

The first afternoon on campus was positively packed, as summer programmers got their bearings and began to make acquaintances. After the initial check-in, students and their parents conversed over snacks and seltzer in St. Frassati Student Center, discussing upcoming events and warming up to one another. Snapshotting a moment of one prefect-programmer conversation, prefect Sophia Forrester (‘29) and programmer Peter C. chatted about the Discussion Method, which Peter had only recently learned about. “I always knew that this college was special,” he smiled, “but I didn’t know how special until I understood the classes.”

Moving on with the day’s agenda, admissions counselor Andrew Grumbine (CA’24) led the students and parents on a tour of campus. The group threaded its way along the campus paths, admiring Our Mother of Perpetual Help Chapel, the old red-brick halls and class-buildings, and the mountainous backdrop. 

After the tour, parents and students parted ways. While parents attended an orientation in Dolben Library, programmers returned to their rooms to finish unpacking or gathered in Frassati for games of foosball and pool. During orientation, New England director of admissions John Jost welcomed families and introduced the College’s chaplaincy, tutors, and staff who will guide the students throughout the week. At the close of orientation, everyone headed up to the Chapel for a vigil Mass in honor of the feast of St. John the Baptist.

Following Mass, everyone gathered in Gould Hall for a hearty dinner of barbecue chicken, corn on the cob, potato salad and watermelon. All enjoyed the meal together, chatting with newly-made friends and newly-met prefects, discussing the classes anticipated for the morning and the evening’s planned activities. New friendships formed quickly as students compared hometowns, debated books and exchanged anecdotes.

Immediately after dinner, students said goodbye to their parents and reconvened in Dolben Library for the student orientation, where Mr. Jost gave them the rundown of the week and tips on how to get the most out of it, then introduced the staff. In turn, each prefect presented him or herself on stage, evoking much merriment and applause with individually creative solutions to the ice-breaker question of how they would survive a potential zombie apocalypse!

After the orientation, girls and boys headed back across campus with their prefects and said evening consecration in their several dorm Commons, headed by visiting Deacon Isaac Cross and head chaplain Rev. Greg Markey. This was in turn followed by a not-quite-midnight snack of churros, chips and salsa, while the prefects took turns detailing their roles and introducing themselves more personally. The night came to a crackling close with bonfires and s’mores, and some good conversations before everyone settled down for a well-deserved rest. 

The programmers’ first classes are this morning — don’t forget to check back in with the Summer Blog this afternoon to receive the full report!

More photos from the High School Summer Program ...

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