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Thursday afternoon on the New England High School Summer Program began with dance practice after the final class on Boethius let out, the last practice that the students will have before their formal dance tonight. The programmers added several new dips and spins to their dance repertoire, then headed back to the residence halls to change for recreation.

With only two days remaining, students had options aplenty for how to spend their afternoon. Some played soccer and volleyball and hit the pool, while others opted to spend some quiet time in their common rooms, chatting with their friends until dinner.

After recreation, prefects and programmers enjoyed pulled-pork sandwiches and talked over the day. The few who had yet to demonstrate Euclid discussed the propositions, while others eagerly debated the evening’s upcoming Flannery O’Connor reading. These conversations came to a close with a mixture of reluctance and simultaneous willingness on hearing the call to Rosary, and all moved to Our Mother of Pereptual Help Chapel to pray before the evening’s studies.

Soon, the programmers went to Dolben Auditorium for roll call and an admissions talk. New England Head of Admissions John Jost, by this time a familiar face to all the programmers, gave a brief presentation on the beauty and importance of the education that the students have tasted over the last two weeks, explaining the benefits of attending the College for four years. Though TAC does not provide a specified degree, this education is something beautiful and worth pursuing for its own sake. Rightly approached, it can set up a student in the world with a determined will, an educated and articulate voice, the ability to learn essentially anything, and a firm footing in the way of goodness and truth. These are invaluable possessions, and the students’ mere two weeks have gone a long way toward showing them what the College’s full curriculum has to offer.

For study hall, the programmers settled down to read a short story by Flannery O’Connor and learn their last three props before Coffee Shop. Upon entering St. Frassati Student Center, they were surprised to find a shiny pinata, banners and signs decorating the room!

Coffee Shop turned into a goodbye party for one student leaving early tomorrow morning, as well as a birthday party for programmer James M! Everyone sang happy birthday to James as he was presented with his own personal birthday cake.

The rest of the evening was spent enjoying taquitos and Shirley Temples, line dancing, vigorously battering the pinata, talking with friends, and making the most of the students’ penultimate night on campus. The party lasted until nearly 11:00 p.m., when the prefects finally called curfew in anticipation of the final classes tomorrow morning. Come back to the later today to read about those classes and the students’ final day on campus!

More photos from the High School Summer Program

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