Getting to the Point

Worn out by Sunday’s trip to Santa Barbara, the California High School Summer Programmers slept soundly and woke up refreshed this morning, ready to begin a second week of classes. Many attended the 7:15 a.m. Mass, and then it was off to a quick breakfast and morning class. Today witnessed the first discussion of Euclid’s Elements, and tutors guided students as they pored over several of the ancient geometer’s definitions, postulates, and common notions. 

“The ability for people to bounce ideas off each other and then get an instantaneous response is very intriguing to me, especially for things like mathematics,” remarks attendee Joseph F. from Scottsdale, Arizona. “That was something fresh, especially this morning with Euclid, where we’re discussing the ideas of what makes a point a point, what is the definition of a straight line, stuff like that, stuff that I’ve really taken for granted for most of my academic career.”

After class and the midday Mass, a hot lunch of tacos and rice was served in St. Joseph Commons, and then it was back to the classroom for a first crack at Boethius’ Consolation of Philosophy, with which students are currently engaged. 

This evening features a talk on art and music, an admissions meeting, and a prefects vs. students basketball game. Be sure to visit the SummerBlog tomorrow morning for photos details!