California
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July 15, 2022
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Three students pose for a photo at the beach

On Thursday afternoon it was time to leave the bounds of TAC’s gentle valley and explore the local offerings of the Golden State. Having completed fruitfully challenging conversations about Kierkegaard’s Fear and Trembling, students on the 2022 High School Summer Program boarded three jampacked charter buses with glee as the prefects took them to historic Santa Barbara.

Snaking along the Pacific Coast Highway, with is stunning ocean views and mountains smudged against the horizon, the buses made their way north. Students pointed to tiny fishing boats among the quiet waves. Others animatedly spoke with Summer Program companions about all that they have experienced over the last several days — socially, spiritually, and intellectually. These were the sounds of a community growing more tightly knit by the day.

Students on the bus

Arriving at Carpinteria beach, students rushed off to the warm sands and cool waters. On top of all manner of towels and underneath a few white tents, programmers and prefects set up for an afternoon burgeoning with possibilities, with sandwiches, water, and sunscreen at their disposal. One student who brought his guitar began playing for the group. Others braved the waves, laughing as swells pushed them back onto the beach. An enterprising group of boys set to excavate an impressive sandpit. The athletically inclined set and spiked on volleyball courts while Spikeball games put programmers’ dexterity and teamwork to the test.

Beach
  • Students trek over the rise to the beach
  • Three pose for a beach photo
  • A game of beach volleyball develops
  • Volleyball game in progress
  • Students wade out into the sea
  • Hat over face, a student naps on a towel
  • Two students on the beach
  • A student on the beach wearing a pretend skirt of seaweed
  • A game of Spikeball on the beach
  • Four students dig a hole with shovels
  • Two prefects supervise
  • A student on the beach breaks out their guitar
  • A student half-buried in sand smiles for the camera
  • Two students - one sporting an excellent beard - walk along the beach
  • Three chat, seated on the sand
  • Three students sit on the sand
  • Three tanning on beach towels
  • Another game of Spikeball
  • Various activity; a student mid-action in the foreground, Spikeball and a Frisbee hurtling through the air behind him
  • A student inside an impressive sandcastle

The sun-drenched hours quickly slipped by until suddenly it was time to board the buses once more. Onto Santa Barbara’s State Street!

Along red-brick sidewalks, underneath hanging trees and suspended succulents, groups of students with prefect leaders set out to find the perfect meal. A Mediterranean spread ensured one group dined well. Classic cheeseburgers and a healthy helping of ice cream made for another successful dinner. One pizza joint, its classic brick ovens comfortably glowing, hosted a feast for several groups.

Sitting at one of the outdoor tables of an Italian restaurant, a jazz band playing nearby, and delighting in a dinner of linguini and clams, Edwin M. mused about his experience at the College thus far. “From the words of Boethius, to the enlightening words of Genesis, nothing has taught to me appreciate philosophy quite like the TAC Great Books program,” he said. “This past week has opened up my mind to accept new things and learn about new ways of thinking and places; this experience has been one of the most enlightening experiences of my life.”

Santa Barbara
  • Santa Barbara, lighthouse visible in the foreground
  • Eight students pose in a small street
  • Eleven students pose for a photo on a bench outside a store
  • Two walk and chat
  • A group of student pose with smoothies
  • Three around an outdoor cafe table
  • Four around an outdoor table
  • Meg Murphy makes the "peace" sign, leading the procession of summer programmers down a street
  • Three programmers and a prefect pose at an indoor table with pizza
  • Four pose for a photo at an outdoor table, washed in sunlight
  • Six programmers at an outdoor table
  • Two programmers at an outdoor table
  • Fr. Walshe poses with a group of programmers and prefects
  • Two smile for a camera at one end of a restaurant table
  • Two students smile for a camera at a restaurant table
  • A student squeezes a lemon slice onto his tacos
  • A student enjoys a burger
  • Students by a row of palm trees
  • Six students pose afront the Dolphin Fountain
  • As the sun sets, three straight-faced students in sunglasses pose, gazing into the distance
  • A group of many of the students along with Fr. Walshe pose on the side of the Fountain
  • All the HSSP students pose together for a group photo

When the sun began to set over the Pacific Ocean, students knew it was time to make their way back to campus. They gathered alongside a dolphin fountain for a massive group photo — all 147 programmers and their accompanying prefects squeezing into the frame. Laughter and smiles filled the air all the way back to the buses as students prepared to return to campus.

After a quiet ride, elevated by a group Rosary, quiet and contented programmers studied Pascal’s “Wager,” a selection of J. Henri Fabre, and Aquinas’s fifth proof for the existence of God. These readings will be the subject of today’s classroom conversations — reports of which will be on the Summer Blog this afternoon.