A Fall Full of Stretching in All Directions
Having majored in theatre, I’m always happy to oblige when offered cameos in one of Principia’s many theatrical performances on either campus.
I recently recorded a small part for use in the College’s upcoming fall musical, Guys and Dolls, opening in two weeks. In keeping with the strong liberal arts tradition here at Principia, the production will include more than 40 students representing over a dozen majors.
It’s a busy time of year as students on both campuses are stretching in all directions. Here are a few highlights that all took place in the past month:
- Our Upper School robotics team won third place at a tournament, showcasing exceptional problem-solving skills and creativity by building and programming their robot to flawlessly carry out tasks.
- The Upper School boys’ soccer team won Districts and competes in the State Championship semifinal tomorrow and Saturday. Go, Panthers!
- A team of student programmers from the College earned first place at the regional MasterCard Masters of Code event after 24 hours of round-the-clock coding. Next month, they travel to California to compete in the Grand Finale, alongside winners of regional events from around the world. The MasterCard-sponsored trip includes tours of technology companies in Silicon Valley as well as networking opportunities with top programmers and executives.
- The College solar car team was one of three U.S. teams to finish the World Solar Challenge exclusively on solar power, racing across Australia in competition with world-class university programs from around the globe.
- The College mediation team participated in competitions in Iowa and Boston, placing fourth in Team Mediation in the Northeastern University Law School Invitational Tournament.
- The College cross-country runners all achieved personal bests at their conference meet last Saturday. In addition, both a male and female runner from Principia were recognized with the SLIAC Sportsmanship Award.
It’s inspiring to see our remarkable students in action. And their successes only continue to build after graduation. We are excited to welcome back alum Brad Wells (C’84), founder of the Grammy Award-winning a cappella group Roomful of Teeth. This eight-voice, avant-garde ensemble won a Grammy for Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance in 2014. The group will perform in Davis Music Hall on Monday, November 23, at 7:30 p.m. It should be an event to remember!
At the School, we are excited to announce that a generous donation is making it possible to reconfigure the current Upper School library and media center into a new IDEA Center (Ideas, Design, Excellence, Action), providing an innovative, state-of-the-art space for student collaboration and learning. A new, updated media center will also be part of this renovation project. In addition, the donor is offering a $1 million matching grant to expand and update the School’s performing arts facilities. We are looking forward to rallying our alumni, current families, and friends around this opportunity to provide Principia School students with exceptional learning spaces for the 21st century.
In theatre, there is a concept known as “willing suspension of disbelief.” I often ask visiting students at the College to willingly suspend any preconceived notions about Principia and approach their Visiting Weekend with open minds and open hearts. I’m grateful that we can report a 60 percent enrollment rate from students who visit our campus.
Do you know students who should experience the Principia difference? If so, don’t hesitate to send them our way. We offer Visiting Weekends on both campuses (including help with travel costs) and look forward to welcoming interested students and their families.