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With books set aside after the morning’s class, everyone eagerly loaded into the College vehicles for one of the New England Summer Program’s most anticipated recreations — an afternoon at the Connecticut River! The weather was perfect for swimming, with the water warmed by the sun and a constant cool breeze blowing through the trees. Before long, the riverbank was alive with activity. The Spikeball and volleyball nets on the field surrounding were quickly put to use, while the clear water of the Connecticut was soon speckled with kayaks and swimmers. 

After several energetic hours in the water and on the playing field, everyone was more than ready for grilled sausages and potato salad beneath the pavilion. Programmer Eva F. brought a guitar with her, quickly attracting a group of fellow musicians. The students passed around the guitar and took turns playing favorite songs while others returned to the river or squeezed in one more game before departing for campus. 

Once back, all hurried to change from swim clothes to Chapel attire for the rest of the evening, then filed down the campus paths in groups to the library. The hazy summer sky turned the setting sun a blazing red behind Our Mother of Perpetual Help Chapel as students descended the hill. Down in Dolben Library, all made themselves comfortable at the desks and sofas, and soon the building settled into a peaceful silence as pages turned and pencils took notes in the margins of the final chapters of Genesis and Soren Kirkegaard’s Fear and Trembling. 

Rosary came at an opportune time, as students began to grow tired after such a long day. The Chapel was cool, lit only by the candles at the altar. The atmosphere was exceptionally conducive to contemplation and prayer.

When Rosary concluded, the group trouped back down the hill to St. Frassati Student Center for a concert, courtesy of the Madison String Quartet. Members of the quartet first offered a brief introduction to Schubert’s Death and the Maiden, explaining how each movement traces humanity's struggle with mortality — from restless resistance to final acceptance. With that context in mind, the audience listened intently as the quartet brought the music vividly to life. The performance was both technically brilliant and deeply moving, and on the heels of the final notes the audience rose as one to give the musicians a standing ovation.

After this exciting close to the day’s festivities, sleepy students went back up to the residence halls in the dark, ready for bed. There, the prefects and programmers offered consecration before settling down for the night. Some went to bed immediately in order to rest up for the next day, while others stayed up a little longer in the common rooms , enjoying snacks and laughing over the day’s memories.

Today students will finish Genesis and have their first class on Kirkegaard — check the Summer Blog to see how they do!

More photos from the High School Summer Program

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