Now we return to our regularly scheduled programming …
By breakfast on Wednesday morning, students in the California High School Great Books Program were already laughing and sharing stories about the fun they had experienced the night before. Over hot cups of coffee and steaming bowls of oatmeal, programmers eagerly chatted about what the current day’s fun would bring. The first item on the agenda: Euclid!
Students hurried to St. Gladys Hall at 9:30 a.m. in eager anticipation of discussing one of the central works of TAC’s curriculum: Euclid’s Elements. The celebrated work by the ancient Greek geometer is a crucial part of the foundation of the mathematics program here at the College. Freshmen spend an entire year poring over and demonstrating Euclid’s propositions. Through his system of axioms and logical proofs, students develop a deep understanding of the fundamental principles of geometry, as well as the ordered, syllogistic reasoning that underlies it.
Today, programmers begin to tackle the bedrock of the Elements — definitions, postulates, and common notions. They contemplated questions many may have never considered before, such as what it means to be a “breathless length,” as Euclid defines a line, or what constitutes a right angle. “It was really cool to study the principles behind things I learned in high school geometry,” Reflected Esai G. “I liked seeing how the philosophy of it all fit, even without using numbers.” Tomorrow, students will use the principles learned today to demonstrate mathematical truths on the chalkboard.
Still buzzing from the morning classes, students enjoyed a lunch of burgers, fries, and apple-walnut salad. Then it was off to St. Gladys Hall once more, where they experienced their first TAC class on Sacred Scripture. Today’s discussion on the first half of Genesis opened a new understanding of the creation story, good and evil, and nature as presented in the Bible as opposed to how it’s depicted in the works of the Pre-Socratics.
Students pondered hard-hitting theological questions, such as how God could have foreknowledge of Adam and Eve’s sin while still granting them free will, and many students left the class enthusiastic for when the discussion continues in tomorrow afternoon’s class.
For now, though, an exciting evening of activities awaits. Be sure to come back to the Summer Blog to read all about it!
More photos from the High School Summer Program
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