From Antigone to Atoms

With the excitement of last night behind them, the students on the California High School Summer Program were eager to rise this morning for their second day of classes!

After the early Extraordinary Form Mass and breakfast, they returned to St. Augustine Hall for the morning session, where they discussed Sophocles’ Antigone. A sequel to Oedipus Rex, the play follows Oedipus’s daughter, Antigone, as she pleads with her uncle, Creon, to give her dead brother’s body a proper burial. The play raises the question of whether duty to the state, duty to religion, or duty to family is most important. Antigone’s bold opinions and Creon’s role as the play’s tragic hero figured prominently in the lively discussions.

At the end of class, the students and their tutors went outside for section photos, followed by a group shot. (We hope to post these photos soon!) Many then made their way over to Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity Chapel for the Ordinary Form midday Mass, followed by a lunch of orange chicken, jasmine rice, and yakisoba noodles in St. Joseph Commons. Conversations were loud and entertaining, focusing on the readings, family, favorite movies, and more.

In the afternoon class, students discussed selections from the Pre-Socratic philosophers, including Democritus, Empedocles, and Epicurus, who all postulated different causes of creation. Democritus and Epicurus thought that small, simple bodies make up everything; while Empedocles thought that everything is formed from the four elements (earth, water, fire, and air), which change by clashing in different combinations of “love” and “strife.” Students discussed the unifying principle of motion and change as well as the intricacies of each position.

And now we’re on to the recreation period, with another fine night of activities still in store! Come see the Summer Blog tomorrow for a full update and photos …