The First Day

With the ice broken and programmers well settled in, the first full day of classes took place this morning. The day began with a breakfast of scrambled eggs and oatmeal in St. Joseph Commons, after which — outfitted in class dress and with books in hand — students made their way to St. Cecilia’s Hall.

There Brian Dragoo, a TAC-California tutor and the High School Summer Program director, introduced the program’s teaching faculty. These are the tutors who will guide the students through classroom discussions as they “read the most important books by masterful authors,” said Mr. Dragoo, “and wrestle with timeless, life-changing questions.” The tutor then discussed the Discussion Method, which students would soon encounter in the classroom.

After the orientation, most students entered Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity Chapel, where Fr. Sebastian offered Mass and encouraged students to seek out meaningful friendships and inner peace during the Summer Program. Invigorated spiritually, they were thus ready for classes to begin.

In the morning class, students encountered the wrenching story of Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex and dug into its meaning — for many, their first experience of Socratic dialogue. They contended with discussions concerning free will, fate, and culpability. Did Oedipus deserve the suffering he encountered — and if so (or if not), what are the implications? As classes ended, the discussions spilled into the Commons during a lunch of gyros and salad.

After lunch, Plato made his first appearance at this year’s Summer Program, with the various class sections pondering the meaning his Euthyphro. The conversation considered questions such as, “What is piety?” and, conversely, “What is impiety?” As they worked their way through these and other questions, students encountered the challenge — and joy! — of defining difficult concepts.

With classes coming to an end, students are now enjoying their first recreation period. Come back to the Summer Blog tomorrow for more photos and updates!