Video & Photos from a Busy Thursday

Thursday afternoon’s recreation period was, in the description of one prefect, “normal” — which means, of course, very busy and fast-paced! There were the usual sports (soccer, basketball, volleyball, water polo, etc.) plus auditions for Saturday’s Open Mic Night and rehearsals for tonight’s Shakespearian skits.

Next up came dinner (chicken cutlets and mixed-berry smoothies) followed by study hall, which began, as always, with a beloved High School Sumer Program tradition: Roll Call.

Every weekday night, before students dive into their readings, they indulge in a moment of levity with a lively taking of attendance — a fast-and-furious race that pits Admissions Director Jon Daly against a prefect. Last night Mr. Daly took roll for students whose last names begin with the letters A-L, while prefect Rachel Rivera called names for letters L-Z. It was a valiant effort on Rachel’s part, but there’s a reason why, nearly halfway through this year’s program, Mr. Daly remains undefeated:

Once the excitement died down, the two-hour study session began in earnest. Students read up on Pascal’s wager for their Friday-morning class and Fabre’s bee observations for the afternoon. They then found their way to the Chapel for evening Rosary before coming back to the Commons for an abbreviated coffee shop, complete with iced coffees and card games.

The real excitement, however, would come after an early curfew, with Dorm Parties back in the men’s and women’s residence halls. Both the men and women enjoyed a late-night snack of nachos (masterfully prepared by prefect Anna Goodwin) and hot dogs. That, however, is where the similarities in the night’s activities end.

For the men, the party began in the courtyard with singing and fiddling, the latter expertly supplied by Daniel, a Summer Program student from Austin Texas:

The men then moved indoors, where the common room had been cleared for a fierce game of dodgeball. The event was billed as a “wing war,” with residents of one of the building’s wings (captained by prefects Matt Dugan and John Jost) battling the other (captained by Jack Blewett and Andrew Rossi). The team of Dugan and Jost triumphed (yes, John wins everything), thanks to the heroic efforts of Angelo, a Summer Program student from Somerset, New Jersey. As the legend — for that is what the story has already become — goes, Angelo found himself the last man standing for his wing, facing four opponents on the other side. Artfully, he managed to evade a barrage of enemy fire, then methodically took out his rivals one at time. After Angelo vanquished his last opponent, thus securing victory for his team, his wing-mates rushed to his side, lifted him to their shoulders, and carried off their victor!

Things were more … sedate in the women’s residence hall, but no less fun! The students played a “getting to know you” game in which they took turns answering ice-breaking questions. The queries ranged from the silly (“If you were a fruit, what kind would you choose and why?”) to the spiritual (“Tell us about your favorite saint …”) The women loved the chance to learn more about each other. They enjoyed the experience so much that they asked to do it again — only this time with prefects answering the questions — one night next week.

After all that excitement, it was time for consecration and lights out!