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Despite yesterday’s end of classes, the California High School Summer Program is far from over! 

Following the final class, programmers raced to their residence halls to change into athletic clothes before making their way down to the ponds on lower campus for an intense match of watermelon polo: Two teams compete by carrying a giant watermelon across the pond, each hoping to get it to their respective side to score. The catch? The watermelon and the players are all slathered in Crisco! With slimy hands, students struggled against one another, tossing the watermelon high into the air in hopes of getting it to the other side.

When the intense rounds of competition came to an end, everyone raced back up to upper campus for the slip and slide! A giant tarp was stretched down the hill in front of St. Therese Hall, thoroughly doused in water and soap. Students slathered more soap onto themselves before racing down the slide, music blaring on the loudspeaker.

At last, it was time for messy activities to come to an end. Happy and dripping wet, students showered and changed for the night’s banquet. At 5:00 p.m., the men arrived outside of St. Monica’s Hall to escort the women to St. Joseph Commons, all dressed in their finest attire, for a dinner of warm bread rolls, strawberry walnut salad, pasta and rice, and salmon. For dessert, students feasted on rich chocolate cheesecake with raspberries. 

Once the eating began to wind down, Dr. John Finley, director of the program, rose to offer a few parting words. “How much has happened for you in the last six days,” he began. “Your souls have been changed by being here. The program you have just completed, at its heart, has enabled you to seek the truth in a very special way. In other words, this summer program has somehow enabled you to become more human.” 

Following dinner, students met in front of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity Chapel to walk and pray the Stations of the Cross before returning to the Chapel to listen to a concert by the choral group, . The Chapel was dark and reverent, and the beautiful singing enveloped the programmers who sat in peaceful silence. 

The final event of the evening was the highly anticipated Prefect vs. Student soccer championship on the athletic field. Prefects Aidan Cooper (’27) and Grace Doyle (’27) provided live color commentary and playfully roasted the players throughout the game. The large student team, coached by Carlos C. and Ryan M., faced a formidable prefect squad, coached by Diego Mota de Alcantara (’28). Initially, the students pulled ahead, with early goals from Gabe M. and Monica W. However, women’s Head Prefect Elena Walz (’26) quickly swooped in with a goal, and after that, the students couldn’t recover. The prefects took the victory in the end, with a final score of 6-2. 

At the game's conclusion, music blasted on the loudspeaker, and many ran out onto the field to scrimmage before rushing back to the residence halls for curfew, evening prayers, and a late-night snack of soft-pretzels and cheese. Then it was time to call it a night! 

Today, students will get to venture off campus to enjoy the beach and explore the city of Santa Barbara. We will have a full report Sunday morning, here on the Summer Program Blog!

More photos from the High School Summer Program

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