Monday was a great introduction to what our Teagle Seminar is going to be all about.  Sunday evening, the students read ‘On Being Brought From Africa’ by Phillis Wheatley and the Declaration of Independence by Thomas Jefferson.  On Monday morning, they attended a lecture led by Professors Johnson and Mealy, which presented them with relevant context and subtext for the two documents and allowed them to develop new ways of thinking about the motivations Wheatley and Jefferson may have had while writing.  After a quick snack break, the students broke into groups to discuss the readings in a more in-depth manner.

2023 Teagle high school students gathered in lecture room

Students in Denny Hall 317 during Context Lecture

Spirited discussion led to lunchtime in Dickinson’s dining hall, and after lunch was Professor Pinsker’s Close Reading Workshop, during which the professor checked in on how the students were settling into the dorm before discussing how their upcoming assignments should be completed.  After that workshop, the students who wished to attend the Kline Fitness Center completed a short orientation before touching base briefly at the High Street residence.  Our final activity before dinner was a tour of campus, and along the way we traveled through Rector (one of the science-focused buildings on campus), the HUB (a central building which houses the dining hall, bookstore, and juice-bar, among other resources), and the library.  The students ended the day back at the dorm, hanging out and reading tomorrow’s source materials.  It was a busy and fun first day, and we can’t wait to see what the rest of the week brings.