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The Gould dining commons was lively at breakfast this morning, as prefects and students on the New England High School Summer Program continued to build their relationships with revived spirits after a good night’s sleep. Students sought out acquaintances they made the day before or sat with their soon-to-be section mates. The majority of the breakfast tables were adorned with coffee cups, editions of Sophocles’ tragedies, and laminated name tags.

Prompted by the prefects’ reminders, students packed up their bags and books and walked to Dolben Auditorium for their last orientation meeting. There, Director of Admissions John Jost and Summer Program Academic Director Dr. Paul Shields offered some final advice on the purpose and method of the classes. Dr. Shields explained the Discussion Method, followed by an exhortation for each student to put as much as he or she can into the conversations and to offer original thoughts without hesitation. The purpose of these classes is to come to the truth together as a section, Dr. Shields explained, and this is best done through wide participation and with the aid of some of history’s greatest thinkers.

Students enthusiastically applauded Dr. Shields as the meeting drew to a close, then departed for the classroom building. The first class of the Summer Program was on Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex, the tragic tale of a man who tries — and fails — to change his own fate. Experiencing Socratic seminars for the first time as a section, students discussed whether Oedipus deserved this cruel fate and the terrible consequences of his actions. 

After their exhilarating first class, some students headed to Mass while others went back to their residence halls for a brief breather. Then it was off to lunch and new conversations, both highly anticipated now that students have started getting to know each other in a class setting. At one animated table, programmer Una D. began an impassioned discussion about instinct versus rationality, inspired by the Fabre reading for later this week. Other programmers immediately jumped into the conversation, applying the concepts of order in nature and animal instinct to their own experiences and examples. 

Lunch ended all too soon and, keeping to their busy schedule, students hurried off to their afternoon class on Plato’s dialogue Euthyphro, asking the question, “What is piety?” The work recounts a conversation between Socrates and the titular character, as Socrates insists that Euthyphro define the term. Socrates inquires whether something is pious because it is pleasing to the gods, or pleasing to the gods because it is pious? Though Euthyphro never gives Socrates a definition that satisfies the philosopher, the students worked together in a dialogue of their own to understand the word’s meaning. 

Up next for the programmers is an afternoon of recreation and section games — check the Summer Blog tomorrow morning to read all about it!

More photos from the High School Summer Program

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