On October 26, the high school veranda transformed (with a little help from our incredible operations team and the wonderful Mrs. Spangler) into an autumnal banquet hall that would make Keats sigh with satisfaction. Senior students and their teachers gathered in anticipation of good food, good company, and good conversation. It was time for the annual senior thesis kickoff dinner. Guests dined on Willy’s cuisine at tables adorned with handmade table runners fashioned from pages of classic books. The literary decor exemplified one of the main aims of the senior thesis project: to celebrate our love of great books by creating something wonderful from what is found within their pages.
The event was crammed with highlights. Ms. Lawson and Ms. Spangler gave rousing speeches about their personal senior thesis experiences. Mr. Andrew and Mr. Schepps spoke with passion about the significance of the project and their high hopes for the class of 2024. Remy Hughes received a college acceptance notification (Go, Remy!). Geoffrey Quick shrieked (with delight?) after discovering the identity of his senior thesis advisor.
Advisors and advisees spoke by candlelight, exchanged excitement, and discussed the daunting yet thrilling journey ahead. Huckleberry Finn and friendship, East of Eden and grief, Hamlet and mortality, the air swelled with passion for texts and topics the exploration of which is fundamental to living well. A spectacular time was had by all, and we can’t wait to see the fruits of this year’s seniors’ labors.