Perspectives on Piety

Despite a busy evening Monday, many rose early this morning for the 7:15 Mass in Our Mother of Perpetual Help Chapel, and a courageous few even managed to fit in a game of basketball beforehand! Breakfast followed in Gould Commons, and then it was off to a second day of classes. 

This morning’s discussion centered around Sophocles’ Antigone, and the polarizing figures of Creon and Antigone herself. “I started by reading a passage where Antigone claims that she is acting piously, and I asked students if they thought she was acting piously,” explains Dr. Paul Shields, one of the tutors serving on the program. “A wonderful discussion ensued, in which we wound up considering the circumstances of her actions, as well as the motivations behind the decisions she made to bury her brother Polynices. It was wonderful to see the different perspectives emerge.”

After class, each classroom section gathered in front of Billings Science Hall for a photo, and then for a photo of the entire group (which will be posted soon!). The Chapel next filled for the midday Mass, and everyone then enjoyed a lunch of chicken and onion rings in Gould Commons. Upon returning to the classroom, attendees discussed selections from the Pre-Socratic philosophers Empedocles, Democritus, and Epicurus. 

Another full evening is in store for the programmers, so be sure to check back tomorrow for news and photos!