Today, the pressure to specialize is one that students feel at an earlier and earlier age. The stress of knowing in which direction to go, which team to join, and how to proceed academically, all with an ultimate goal in mind sits in direct contrast to the classical notion of being well-rounded.
During the Renaissance period, the best thinkers strove to embrace knowledge across many disciplines. These Renaissance men studied philosophy, the humanities, math, and science. These same men also competed in athletics, embraced the arts, and were masterful orators. They did it all. The question is, can schools today create the same kind of men?
The answer is they must. Our world needs leaders who can draw from different systems and disciplines. We need men who appreciate culture, can bridge differences, and have perspective on history. CM strives to educate such modern-day Renaissance men. We form men who can, as all such men have done, take expansive viewpoints, solve problems utilizing not one method but hybrid methods to debate the essential questions of the human condition and solve the problems facing their generation’s moment in history.
CM’s Scholars Program is unique academic offering that intentionally promotes broad thinking, encourages intellectual risk taking, and supports young men in their pursuit of knowledge. Led by Classics Department Member Brian Clark, the Scholars Program introduces a select group of students to topics that are not traditionally covered in a high school curriculum. This year, our interdisciplinary Scholars Seminars explored the theme of Gods, Monsters, and Men.
Studying scholarly materials and using a Socratic dialogue to deepen their knowledge, members of the Scholars Program hone their analytical skills and are supported as they pursue individual passion projects. These projects are exhibited through a colloquium series, where students share their research in public forums.
This spring, CM student presentations included: The Study of Beowulf in Old English, Sino-Russian Relations, the Benefits of Virtual Reality, and the Expansion of NATO. Through their presentations and public defense, these scholars gained confidence in their ability to draw conclusions and express their ideas. The conversations that emerged over the colloquium week were profound and expansive.
Like the men of that transformational age of rebirth, the CM students who have graduated this spring will have the depth and breath, and courage and confidence to share their talents to positively impact the world. Inspired by Blessed Edmund Rice, these students have served the marginalized with empathy, compassion, and Agapic love, and have a relationship with God that will serve them well into life. I remain steadfast in my belief that the young men who graduate from CM are well-prepared to make a difference in our world.
