Plenty to Celebrate This Season
As the season of gratitude shifts into the season of Christmas celebration, we have much to be grateful for—and a great deal to celebrate as well here at Principia.
Just before Thanksgiving, the College rugby team won the USA Rugby 7s DII National Championship. The David-and-Goliath story of this team from a small DIII liberal arts college is inspiring Principians everywhere. Rugby head coach Ward Patterson (C'82), a seasoned coach who led Middlebury College to six New England Championships and the 2007 National Championship, is one of the many remarkable educators at Principia. As Patterson puts it, “I don’t coach rugby . . . I coach character education, and I use rugby to get there.”
The opportunity for these student-athletes to travel to North Carolina and bring home the ultimate victory is one of many examples of the extraordinary opportunities and triumphs supported by Principia. At a recent open house for prospective Preschool to Middle School families, several current Middle School students spoke eloquently and movingly about their educational experiences and their overflowing gratitude for Principia.
We are grateful to be able to offer such exceptional opportunities to Christian Scientists from the earliest years to adulthood. For the second year in a row, the College was ranked third on Kiplinger’s list of 10 Best Values in Private Colleges Under 20K, based on the average net cost “after need- and merit-based aid.” That ranking is all the more remarkable considering the high-quality education and individual attention provided to Principia students.
Last month, we announced the founding of the Institute for the Metaphysics of Physics with Dr. Laurance Doyle, principal investigator and astrophysicist at the SETI Institute in California, as director. This is an extraordinary opportunity for students to receive training as thought leaders in the study of physics as related to metaphysics. Dr. Doyle will be on campus for six to eight weeks each semester, leading or advising on research, supporting courses, advancing student scholarly work, and coordinating efforts with other research organizations. Participating College students will have opportunities to engage in ongoing research about quantum astronomy, among other disciplines, at the SETI Institute as well as other research organizations. We are delighted to have Dr. Doyle as part of the Principia team.
This is the last week of classes at both the School and College, followed by finals week and a wonderful lineup of Christmas programs at all levels. I’m sorry I will be missing some of these sharings, since I am joining the Principia Lifelong Learning Mekong River Cruise through Vietnam, but I did have the privilege of providing the voice of the angel in the recorded readings for Sunday’s Upper School Christmas Concert. My wife, Sue, and I are looking forward to traveling with more than 60 Principia friends ready to learn from the venerable Professor John Williams. It promises to be a terrific trip!
Before December 22, more than 50 Principia Club Christmas Sings are taking place from coast to coast. Check the schedule for the Principia Club nearest you, and make plans to jingle and mingle with Principia friends in your area.
These gatherings are about celebrating the lifelong friendships and invaluable education found at Principia while recognizing the true meaning of Christmas. In Principia’s early years, founder Mary Kimball Morgan encouraged parents to help children dive deeper at the holidays to understand what we are truly celebrating: “Let us teach our children the true significance of these anniversaries which we celebrate . . .” (Education at The Principia, p. 40).
This year I send best wishes for a Christmas season filled with “true significance” and deeper meaning.