Let There Be Light

Despite Tuesday night’s excitement and activities on the High School Summer Program, some eight enterprising young women from St. Monica Hall rose early this morning for a hike to the Painter’s Shack — a mainstay of campus life at the California campus. Led by prefects Monica Weinkopf (’25) and Rose Anderson (’26), the crew sallied up the climb to their destination in the dawn’s rosy-fingered light. The Painter’s Shack reached, they enjoyed a spectacular view and each other’s company in the morning’s stillness.

Monica found after the hike that she loved getting some personal time with the girls and seeing friendships continue to take root. “Those were some of the best conversations I’ve had so far,” she says. Meanwhile, other students rose for the early Mass in the Extraordinary From, offered by program chaplain Fr. Sebastian, then broke their morning fast on eggs, bacon, and hashbrowns. Ready for the day, sections met for class.

The first class worked through the first 11 chapters of Genesis, many sections taking special care to understand the Fall as best they could. Guided by their skilled tutors, students found the conversation new and exciting, despite any previous familiarity they had with the text — thanks, in part, to the focused nature of the discussion. Anything outside those 11 chapters, even other passages of Scripture or the Catechism, was left out of the conversation, taking the Biblical narrative at face value.

After class, many students attended the midday Mass in the Ordinary Form, then made their way to St. Joseph Commons for lunch, where conversations about Genesis continued over deli-style sandwiches. Attendees then returned to class to work through chapters of 12 through 25, turning their efforts to the questions of covenants, greatness, and the lineage of the Patriarchs. They paid special attention to the sacrifice of Isaac, a part of Scripture which Kierkegaard examines in his Fear and Trembling, which the programmers will discuss on Thursday. Such connections, between texts and even disciplines, occur often within the College’s integrated curriculum, making for richer conversations.

With classes now behind them, students are enjoying their recreation period with a special addition: Tutor Dr. John Francis Nieto is presenting a lecture about art and beauty, in preparation for the Thursday’s visit to the Getty Center and Tchaikovsky concert at the Hollywood Bowl. Come back to the Summer Program Blog in the morning for the latest updates and photos!