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Monday morning found the students of the Great Books High School Program excited to jump right into their first full day of classes and fun at TAC!

Before they got to the classroom, though, they gathered for breakfast and conversation in St. Joseph Commons, then headed to the Fritz B. Burns Auditorium for a brief talk about the academic life of the College. Summer Program Director Brian Dragoo, who met the students at yesterday’s orientation and barbeque, spoke today about the curriculum and gave some advice about how best to participate in the class discussions. At TAC, he said, respectful disagreement is expected and encouraged in the classroom, as students wrestle with profound questions and contrary points of view. “We do two things here,” Mr. Dragoo explained. “We read the best books by the best authors, and we talk about those books with each other in a friendly but serious way.”

After Mr. Dragoo’s introduction, students gathered for an opening Mass in Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity Chapel. In his homily, chaplain spoke to students about the importance of pursuing truth in every discipline and seeing God’s hand in every part of creation.

Prepared mentally and spiritually by the morning’s events, the high schoolers made their way to the first class of the week, a seminar on Sophocles’ Antigone. The high schoolers were divided into three sections of 18 students, who will be attending all their classes with each other for the next week. Under the guidance of their tutor, the students analyzed the play’s characters and motivations and discussed the conflict that arises between the characters’ duties to their gods, family, and country. 

Their first class successfully concluded, the students posed with their section-mates and tutors for a section photo and a group photo on the steps leading to St. Joseph’s Commons, where they sat down for a lunch of chicken fajitas just a few minutes later. 

Then it was back to the classroom for an afternoon math class. During the Summer Program, students will have five classes on Euclid’s Elements, where they will come to understand Euclid’s mathematical demonstrations, from the first principles of geometry to their logical conclusions. Today they began by discussing some of those first principles. Students talked over the nature of points and lines and established agreement on Euclid’s postulates and common notions in preparation for their next math class tomorrow morning, where they will present their first demonstrations. 

Before they return to class, however, the students have a full afternoon ahead of them, including spending some more time with their section-mates at the Section Games. There will also be time for study, a community Rosary, and, of course, milkshakes.

For a recap of this evening’s events, check the Summer Blog tomorrow!