Spring Break Takes Principia on the Road
Spring break is just around the corner, and students are charging toward the finish line. The pause in classes provides an opportunity for our students to let their lights shine in new directions.
The Arts on Tour program leaves next week for Southern California. This year’s tour features both Upper School and College musicians as well as an exhibit of student artwork. If you are in Santa Barbara, Orange County, San Diego, or the San Gabriel Valley, you won’t want to miss this opportunity to hear our talented students perform. Check out the details and RSVP. Admission to all of the concerts is free.
Alumni, parents, and friends in St. Louis can preview the performance this coming Tuesday, March 8, at 7:30 p.m. in Ridgway Auditorium on the School campus. This will be a benefit concert—all donations up to $1 million will be matched by a generous donor and applied to the School’s Performing Arts Center renovation project. (Construction is already underway for the first phase of the renovation, moving the library to make room for the updated performing arts spaces.)
Proceeds from last weekend’s Principia Parents Association Trivia Night and online auction also are going toward this project. Bringing all of the Upper School performing arts programs together in a newly renovated space will further strengthen the long-standing tradition of exceptional arts education across Principia.
I enjoyed reconnecting with Principians of all eras at our latest networking event in Northern California last Saturday. It was great fun to be with distinguished alumni ranging from global business executives and serial entrepreneurs to technologists and nonprofit leaders. The rewards of participating in these events are bountiful for those seeking new opportunities as well as those looking to hire or otherwise support recent graduates and those considering mid-career transitions.
The winter athletic season recently wrapped up with six wrestlers competing at State for the School. A strong girls’ swim team produced numerous personal records, and the girls’ varsity basketball team advanced to the semifinal round of District play. At the College, basketball player Kara Johnson, a senior, was named St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Association Conference Player of the Week twice. And swimmer Hunter Mehring, a junior, won a spot on the 2016 Liberal Arts All-Championship team.
Spring sports kicked off this week at the School. Warm weather made practicing outside easy at the start of the week, but a cold snap quickly followed—a reminder that March insists on coming in like a lion before going out like a lamb. We all know spring is inevitable, however, and our student-athletes on both campuses remain undaunted and determined.
A large number of students are involved in preparations for spring productions on each campus. The College presents The Best of Everything this weekend. Upper School students are rehearsing their production of 42nd Street for April 7–9. You won’t want to miss these opportunities to see the arts in action at Principia, if you are in the area or can get here.
The College’s 67th Public Affairs Conference (PAC) will take place March 24–26, focusing on innovation in business, education, media, and technology. This year’s student organizers are putting together a thought-provoking program, building on PAC’s strong tradition and reputation as the nation’s oldest student-run conference.
We hosted our 15th Monitor Night Live last week at the College, bringing several Christian Science Monitor correspondents and Editor Marshall Ingwerson (C’79) to Wanamaker to share perspectives on the news and examine the current political environment at home and abroad. You can hear a recording of this inspiring, thought-provoking event on Principia Internet Radio.
It’s getting to be college decision time. This past weekend brought more than 50 prospective students to the College campus for a Visiting Weekend. You may not be aware that we provide financial support for interested students to visit the School and College. (We encourage parents to visit as well.) It’s the best way to get to know us and find out if Principia is a right fit.
Several Visiting Weekends are scheduled for this spring at both the School and College. Please help us pass the word to young Christian Scientists and their families everywhere. We would love to welcome them and share the Principia experience.