The senior class recently completed the capstone project of the curriculum here at Mount Royal Academy!
The purpose of the senior thesis is to facilitate an experience whereby the students enter into a final reflection regarding the substance of what was learned during their time at Mount Royal Academy. A classical and liberal education intends to free the mind to know and love truth, goodness, and beauty. This is done by reading and considering those truths about human nature that will forever stand the test of time. The senior thesis will invite students to consider a voice from the past whom they found interesting, memorable, and an illustrator of truth. G.K. Chesterton and Alasdair MacIntrye provide the rationale for reverencing tradition and pondering the good:
“Tradition means giving a vote to the most obscure of all classes, our ancestors. It is the democracy of the dead.” Chesterton goes on to say: “Tradition refuses to submit to the small and arrogant oligarchy of those who merely happen to be walking about. All democrats object to men being disqualified by the accident of birth; tradition objects to their being disqualified by the accident of death. Democracy tells us not to neglect a good man’s opinion, even if he is our groom; tradition asks us not to neglect a good man’s opinion, even if he is our father.” - G.K. Chesterton.
“The unity of human life is the unity of a narrative quest… It is in looking for a conception of the good which will enable us to order other goods, for a conception of the good which will enable us to extend our understanding of the purpose and content of the virtues, for a conception of the good which will enable us to understand the place of integrity and constancy in life, that we initially define the kind of life which is a quest for the good… A quest is always an education both as to the character of that which is sought and in self-knowledge” - Alasdair MacIntrye, After Virtue (219).
The thesis assignment starts at the beginning of the academic year and culminates in an oral presentation to the student body, faculty, friends, and family members. After presenting their own claims in response to the thinker examined, seniors receive questions from faculty members seeking to probe and develop those claims.
Mr. Ambrose Bean is the primary thesis advisor, and he shared these comments about this year’s presentations: “I thought it all went splendidly, and I am very proud of the end result for these bright young men and women. This is not an easy task, but they took it head on, and the hard work really paid off in the end. It is so rewarding to see our graduating students firing on all cylinders and demonstrating everything that they are capable of at this juncture in their lives. Wherever they decide to go next, I would not bet against them!”
Mrs. Lisa Sweet always looks forward to these presentations and said the following after this year’s strong showing: “Each year, I hear students share their concerns and fears about writing and presenting their thesis. And each year I am stunned by the clarity of thought and the mature, sophisticated expression of their critical thinking. Their formation at Mount Royal Academy reaches its fulfillment in the senior thesis and these young men and women are intelligent, discerning individuals ready to make an impact on the world around them. It is a privilege and a thrill to watch this metamorphosis unfold.”
The thesis for each senior is listed below. May God bless the Class of 2025!
Gemma Josephs, “Gatsby Has to Move On: The Theme of Hope in The Great Gatsby”
Roxana Hudkins, “The Highest of Truths: Studying the Fantasy Genre Through C.S Lewis’s Perelandra”
Amelia Caravan, “Marriage in Pride and Prejudice: Convenience vs. Love”
Jude Courant, “Art Restriction: A Limitation on the Human Soul”
Thomas Breisch, “The Old Man and the Sea: The Hidden Purpose In Our Suffering”
Marianne Dowsett, “Dissatisfaction, Desire, Disappointment: An Analysis of Pearl S. Buck’s The Good Earth”
Ryan Donelan, “Into the Wild: An Examination of Christopher McCandless’s Life”
Kaitlyn Costello, “Love of God and Hatred of God: Exploring the Themes of Religious Faith and Doubt Through Dostoyevsky”
Joe Straniero, “On Social Justice and its Modern Relevance”
Eliza Keady, “From Isolation to Connection: Imagination and Romanticism in Robert Frost’s Poems”
Betsy Brodigan, “The Key Moment: Studying Ronald Reagan’s Struggle Against Communism”
Melody Heacock, “What Makes a Good Mindset and How It’s Essential to Success”
Harrison LaRose, “Satan’s Sanatorium: C.S. Lewis’ Method in The Screwtape Letters”
Abriana Scallon, “Martyrdom: The Perfect Witness to Christ From The Spirituality of Martyrdom by Servais Pinckaers”
Wow Peschke, “My Critique of Karl Marx’s Communist Vision”
Mia Cahill, “All Things Are Possible With God: An Analysis of The Book of Job”
Grace Holliston, “The Reflection of Art in the Human Soul: A Study of The Picture of Dorian Gray”
Luke Moorehouse, “Growing up in Gramarye: Tragedy, Trial, and Mediocrity in T.H. White’s The Once and Future King”