Author and Editor Christopher Beha '94 Speaks to Seventh Grade Boys and Their Dads/Special Guests

Why spend a year reading the entire set of Harvard Classics?

Alumnus, acclaimed author and editor of Harper's Magazine Christopher Beha '94 did just that. Last night, he spoke to our seventh graders and their fathers and special guests about his memoir, The Whole Five Feet, which chronicles Chris's reading journey through the Harvard Classics--51 titles of great works that are said to fill a five-foot shelf.

After learning that his grandmother had read the entire collection, Chris was inspired to follow suit, seeking the insights, revelations and life lessons the works might provide. The books, from great minds like Plato, Aristotle, Cervantes and Thoreau, provide the reader with the foundation of a classical liberal arts education.

"Classics force you to meet them on their own terms," he told our boys and their dads. "You need to approach classic works with an open mind by trying to understand them, not based on whether or not you agree with them." In this way, Chris drew a parallel to our school-wide theme this year of respect: "Respect requires an approach of openness to other people. There's no better way to cultivate that respect than by reading the classics."

While acknowledging that the Harvard Classics represent one distinct perspective, he pointed to their value as a way to connect with the past in a meaningful way and how, with each re-read, you learn something new.

Following a lively question and answer session, each boy received an autographed copy of The Whole Five Feet to take home.

Chris's talk resonated at Saint David's, where we balance the classic with the innovative throughout our program. We thank Chris for returning to Saint David's. His latest novel, The Index of Self-Destructive Acts, will be published in May.

The Seventh Grade Father-Son Dinner celebrates the very special and vital connection between father and son at a pivotal moment as our boys prepare to enter their graduating year at Saint David's. It is one of our newer traditions, and always a thought provoking, meaningful evening.

For more on Saint David's School, visit www.saintdavids.org

The Wisdom Within - A Matter of Trust

The Teaching Boys Initiative (TBI) is a cornerstone of Saint David’s School’s strategic vision, aimed at developing a robust framework of evidence-based best practices in boys’ education. The initiative’s primary goal is to empower educators with the knowledge, skills, habits, and dispositions of reflective practitioners, enhancing their professional growth and the overall quality of teaching and learning for boys. In TBI's new quarterly blog series, "The Wisdom Within," our faculty share stories that inform, inspire, and encourage reflective practice using evidence-based approaches in teaching and learning for boys. The following inaugural entry, "A Matter of Trust," was written by reflective practitioner and Master Teacher Tom Ryan, who has been inspiring generations of Saint David's boys for more than 53 years. A MATTER OF TRUST …but, I digress. I cannot possibly begin any writing piece, and/or class, without some digression that, as I have said to my s...

Jack Mullin '12 : Reflections on a Mom's Love

The Chapel talk tradition at Saint David's provides faculty and alumni with the opportunity to share with our boys meaningful and inspiring personal stories: their experiences, lessons learned, challenges overcome. The annual Fifth Grade Mother-Son Chapel gathers our fifth-grade boys and their mothers or mother figures for a special shared pre-Mother's Day experience; a Chapel Talk by a young alumnus who reflects upon the role his mother has played in his life. This year, we welcomed former Student Council President Jack Mullin '12. Jack's family has deep roots with school. His older brother Patrick graduated in '08 and his dad, Terry, in 1973. Jack's talk centered on the impact both his alma mater and his mother, Immy, have had on his development into the man he is today. Below are excerpts that I would like to share: "My family's multi-generational lineage is a testament to the incredible sense of community Saint David’s fosters, and I too hope I have...

Strong Values

You can feel it in the air: the indescribable yet readily recognizable excitement of the start of a new school year - in our boys, teachers, families, administrators, and staff. Below, I share excerpts from my opening letter that speak to our 2024-25 school-wide theme, "Strong Values:" "To-morrow I cease to be a puppet, and I become a boy like you and all the other boys."* We teach boys. That’s what we do. And we want our boys to think for themselves. And we want that thinking to be rooted in and guided by “strong values”—our school-wide theme this year, found in the last line of the mission’s second paragraph. In keeping with the school’s classical tradition, these strong values are shaped at Saint David’s by the cardinal and theological virtues of prudence, justice, temperance, and courage, along with faith, hope, and charity. To many Western philosophers, possession of these virtues makes a person good, happy, and thriving. Something we want for all of our sons. ...

David O'Halloran, Headmaster - Saint David's School, New York City

Search This Blog