Homecoming might be the best word to describe what happened on Santa Fe’s campus last weekend. Alumni from across the world returned to where their opinions and questions were most welcome, where they knew someone would listen to what they had to say, where thoughtfulness and curiosity run in the family.
Some sat in on classes. Some gave masterclasses. Some checked out the new (and simultaneously very old) armillary sphere, the only one of its kind. Some did yoga at sunrise; some hiked in the afternoon; some played pub trivia or danced the night away. All, however, participated in seminars held Saturday morning. Alumni of the Graduate Institute, led by Associate Dean McDonald himself, discussed Jun’ichirō Tanizaki’s In Praise of Shadows.
A final awards ceremony, a farewell brunch, and then these many alumni scattered once again. A fun weekend, surely, but also a yearly reminder that St. John’s is the place where — to tweak Robert Frost — when you want to go there, they want to take you in.
Photos courtesy of Kevin Lange. Stay tuned for Annapolis’ turn later this month!
