Finding a Place in Great Books
Upon arriving at Faulkner that first Friday in July, my initial thought was, “There is absolutely no way I can get through this week!”
I had made the decision to participate in the Great Books Honors Great Summer program based on my love for classical education, reading, and writing, and though I was beyond excited for the week that lay ahead of me, I felt overwhelmed my first evening there. New, unfamiliar faces surrounded me, and the workload we would likely be thrust into intimidated me. In all honesty, I felt as though I wouldn’t truly be able to connect with the other students or grasp the difficult material we were to study over the next eight days. My concerns consumed me the day I arrived on campus, but I would soon find that Great Summer was nothing like I had imagined.
After moving into my apartment for the week and trying not to look out of place at the banquet we attended, the group and I made our way to the Fine Arts Center where we went through brief introductions and enjoyed several Don’t-Be-Board-Games. By the end of the night, my concern about not being able to connect with my new peers had lightened somewhat, and I began to think that maybe, just maybe, I would be able to weave myself into the group and truly get to know everyone throughout the week.
Saturday was our first school day. After breakfast we began a discussion on “The Pedestrian” and “There Will Come Soft Rains” by Ray Bradbury. Before long, we were all laughing about taking walks in the dark and stopping to smell leaves and running into chicken doors, and by the end of the day, I made two conclusions. For one, I discovered that I had indeed found a family in my new Great Books friends. And for another, after reading and finding that I was able to grasp Bradbury’s texts, I decided that my future time in Great Books would likely be an enjoyable experience, and that for the most part, I could grasp any material thrown my way.
But then there was Sunday.
Oh, boy.
On Sunday I cried my very first Great Books tears.
“Oh, no!” my reader might say. “That’s so sad. Why were you crying?”
I cried in class that day for two main reasons. First off, we discussed that lovely little text by Aristotle entitled “Happiness,” in which we discussed how as humans created in the image of God, we long for perfection, but because of our sinful nature, we cannot attain such perfection--true happiness--until death. That discovery alone was enough to make us cry, but the second reason I cried was because I realized that over the four weeks prior to the camp, I had written each and every one of my interpretive questions wrong. That was the moment I decided I had absolutely no idea what I was doing when it came to Great Books, and therefore, I shed a tear.
Sunday was a day of many difficult emotions, and once again, I doubted that I would be able to make it through the week. But the next day offered me a break from those concerns. Monday was a very enjoyable day, due to us being able to take a breather from school and tour the city of Montgomery. Throughout the day, we visited various landmarks and memorials, including The Archives, the First White House of the Confederacy, St. John’s Episcopal Church, and the new Memorial for Peace and Justice. Each of the stops we made reminded me of the history of our state--how we began, how far we’ve come, and what our potentials in the future are. They reminded me that my state’s troubled past does not define who I am, nor chart my paths in life. Our tour of Montgomery was a very meaningful experience for me.
Our break from the books on Monday was just the fuel I needed to keep going for the rest of the week. That being said, each of us still struggled with our difficult moments. My next crisis moment happened on Tuesday when we resumed our studies in the classroom again, this time delving into a Medieval short story and several works from our textbook. Still struggling with my interpretive questions, Tuesday was the day I first went under the Great Books Table. Dr. Jacobs had warned me that at one point or another, every student would wind up under the table, but I hadn’t believed that was possible until that day. The stress was too great as we were discussing John Dewey’s “Habits and Will”, and I couldn’t help myself. I curled up pathetically in a fetal position and for the first time experienced the comforts of being under the GB table. After several minutes, I was fine, and was even able to enjoy Dress-Like-A-Cow-Day at Chick-Fil-A for lunch and an evening at the bowling alley.
Wednesday was another school day, and we started the day off with an insight reading about the Enlightenment period. Throughout the day, we studied our way through several essays, as well as “Birthmark” by Nathaniel Hawthorne, a Romantic text.After our readings, we shared our thoughts on the texts, discussing how people see beauty, as well as the danger with vanity and hidden pride. That evening we enjoyed dinner, a devotional, and (in the words of Dr. Fullman) the “technological wonders” of Alfred Hitchcock’s Rear Window. We engaged in short conversation afterwards, examining the details of the movie and finishing with the final question: “What does it mean to be a good neighbor?”.
On Thursday we had the privilege of going to Fitzpatrick Elementary for a service project. Kristen and I teamed up to read a short story to several third-graders and conduct a short discussion afterwards. In the days leading up to the project, I had been concerned about how the children would receive our efforts that day. In the end, however, I was surprised by their enthusiasm over the story and their eagerness over getting to ask questions of their own. Our service project at the school turned out to be very rewarding and meaningful to me.
Friday was our last full day. We ended our week of school with a final discussion on our Lewis text, as well as “Hunger Artist” and “In Dreams Begin Responsibilities.” After dinner in the Great Books Wing, we all caravanned to the Shakespeare Festival, where we had the privilege of watching a breathtaking performance of Annie.
Saturday dawned, and saying goodbye to everyone that morning was harder than I could ever have imagined. For the past eight days, we had worked together through some of the most challenging material we had ever conquered and had been there for each other during our best and worst moments. By that morning, I knew I had found my place in the Great Books family. Sure, I still had my awkward and embarrassing moments, and I still struggled to keep my head above water when it came to composing interpretive questions, but by Friday, I felt as though they were struggles I could manage. I had learned that being in Great Books isn’t so much about not struggling, but about learning how to work through the difficulties.
So was Great Summer like I had imagined it would be? No. It was better. Harder? Absolutely. But I can honestly say that it was one of the best decisions regarding my education I have ever made. It challenged me, pushed me beyond my limits, and made me dig deeper into the ideas that I’ve always believed without truly knowing why. It privileged me with relationships I could never have hoped for and proved to me that with determination and the support of a family, I could work through the trials of Great Books.
Great Summer was an experience I will always be thankful for, bearing memories I will always cherish. I could not be more excited to spend the next four years in the Great Books Family!
I had made the decision to participate in the Great Books Honors Great Summer program based on my love for classical education, reading, and writing, and though I was beyond excited for the week that lay ahead of me, I felt overwhelmed my first evening there. New, unfamiliar faces surrounded me, and the workload we would likely be thrust into intimidated me. In all honesty, I felt as though I wouldn’t truly be able to connect with the other students or grasp the difficult material we were to study over the next eight days. My concerns consumed me the day I arrived on campus, but I would soon find that Great Summer was nothing like I had imagined.
After moving into my apartment for the week and trying not to look out of place at the banquet we attended, the group and I made our way to the Fine Arts Center where we went through brief introductions and enjoyed several Don’t-Be-Board-Games. By the end of the night, my concern about not being able to connect with my new peers had lightened somewhat, and I began to think that maybe, just maybe, I would be able to weave myself into the group and truly get to know everyone throughout the week.
Saturday was our first school day. After breakfast we began a discussion on “The Pedestrian” and “There Will Come Soft Rains” by Ray Bradbury. Before long, we were all laughing about taking walks in the dark and stopping to smell leaves and running into chicken doors, and by the end of the day, I made two conclusions. For one, I discovered that I had indeed found a family in my new Great Books friends. And for another, after reading and finding that I was able to grasp Bradbury’s texts, I decided that my future time in Great Books would likely be an enjoyable experience, and that for the most part, I could grasp any material thrown my way.
But then there was Sunday.
Oh, boy.
On Sunday I cried my very first Great Books tears.
“Oh, no!” my reader might say. “That’s so sad. Why were you crying?”
I cried in class that day for two main reasons. First off, we discussed that lovely little text by Aristotle entitled “Happiness,” in which we discussed how as humans created in the image of God, we long for perfection, but because of our sinful nature, we cannot attain such perfection--true happiness--until death. That discovery alone was enough to make us cry, but the second reason I cried was because I realized that over the four weeks prior to the camp, I had written each and every one of my interpretive questions wrong. That was the moment I decided I had absolutely no idea what I was doing when it came to Great Books, and therefore, I shed a tear.
Sunday was a day of many difficult emotions, and once again, I doubted that I would be able to make it through the week. But the next day offered me a break from those concerns. Monday was a very enjoyable day, due to us being able to take a breather from school and tour the city of Montgomery. Throughout the day, we visited various landmarks and memorials, including The Archives, the First White House of the Confederacy, St. John’s Episcopal Church, and the new Memorial for Peace and Justice. Each of the stops we made reminded me of the history of our state--how we began, how far we’ve come, and what our potentials in the future are. They reminded me that my state’s troubled past does not define who I am, nor chart my paths in life. Our tour of Montgomery was a very meaningful experience for me.
Our break from the books on Monday was just the fuel I needed to keep going for the rest of the week. That being said, each of us still struggled with our difficult moments. My next crisis moment happened on Tuesday when we resumed our studies in the classroom again, this time delving into a Medieval short story and several works from our textbook. Still struggling with my interpretive questions, Tuesday was the day I first went under the Great Books Table. Dr. Jacobs had warned me that at one point or another, every student would wind up under the table, but I hadn’t believed that was possible until that day. The stress was too great as we were discussing John Dewey’s “Habits and Will”, and I couldn’t help myself. I curled up pathetically in a fetal position and for the first time experienced the comforts of being under the GB table. After several minutes, I was fine, and was even able to enjoy Dress-Like-A-Cow-Day at Chick-Fil-A for lunch and an evening at the bowling alley.
Wednesday was another school day, and we started the day off with an insight reading about the Enlightenment period. Throughout the day, we studied our way through several essays, as well as “Birthmark” by Nathaniel Hawthorne, a Romantic text.After our readings, we shared our thoughts on the texts, discussing how people see beauty, as well as the danger with vanity and hidden pride. That evening we enjoyed dinner, a devotional, and (in the words of Dr. Fullman) the “technological wonders” of Alfred Hitchcock’s Rear Window. We engaged in short conversation afterwards, examining the details of the movie and finishing with the final question: “What does it mean to be a good neighbor?”.
On Thursday we had the privilege of going to Fitzpatrick Elementary for a service project. Kristen and I teamed up to read a short story to several third-graders and conduct a short discussion afterwards. In the days leading up to the project, I had been concerned about how the children would receive our efforts that day. In the end, however, I was surprised by their enthusiasm over the story and their eagerness over getting to ask questions of their own. Our service project at the school turned out to be very rewarding and meaningful to me.
Friday was our last full day. We ended our week of school with a final discussion on our Lewis text, as well as “Hunger Artist” and “In Dreams Begin Responsibilities.” After dinner in the Great Books Wing, we all caravanned to the Shakespeare Festival, where we had the privilege of watching a breathtaking performance of Annie.
Saturday dawned, and saying goodbye to everyone that morning was harder than I could ever have imagined. For the past eight days, we had worked together through some of the most challenging material we had ever conquered and had been there for each other during our best and worst moments. By that morning, I knew I had found my place in the Great Books family. Sure, I still had my awkward and embarrassing moments, and I still struggled to keep my head above water when it came to composing interpretive questions, but by Friday, I felt as though they were struggles I could manage. I had learned that being in Great Books isn’t so much about not struggling, but about learning how to work through the difficulties.
So was Great Summer like I had imagined it would be? No. It was better. Harder? Absolutely. But I can honestly say that it was one of the best decisions regarding my education I have ever made. It challenged me, pushed me beyond my limits, and made me dig deeper into the ideas that I’ve always believed without truly knowing why. It privileged me with relationships I could never have hoped for and proved to me that with determination and the support of a family, I could work through the trials of Great Books.
Great Summer was an experience I will always be thankful for, bearing memories I will always cherish. I could not be more excited to spend the next four years in the Great Books Family!
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