HeightsCast: Forming Men Fully Alive

With another year having passed—perhaps even sped by—and a new one underfoot, HeightsCast returns with a discussion of time and solitude with Mike Ortiz and Rob Greving. Together, Mike and Rob invite us to slow down as they unpack their two recently published articles on the Forum. Mr. Ortiz dives into Henry David Thoreau's cabin life and the importance of intentional times of solitude in our lives, while Mr. Greving considers our often uneasy relationship with time and the good of slowing down, even as the world speeds up. As we look forward to the new year with hope and anticipation, let us not forget to slow down and, in Mr. Greving's words, listen for the present moment. After all, you can't read a poem in a hurry. And if you are always in a hurry, you might miss the poetry of life. Chapters 1:45 Background to the articles 5:43 Thoreau's way of solitude: the path to a greater appreciation of the world 10:15 Never less alone than when alone 13:30 Time alone and listening for God 15:55 Silence and the capacity to attend 20:55 Having more that is worth less 22:55 Handling time gently 30:08 Times of leisure in the life of a school 32:30 Beyond life hacks: cultivating a disposition 40:56 Poetry, solitude, and time 45:13 You can't read a poem in a hurry 48:02 Slowing down in family life 53:00 The importance of not over-scheduling kids 57:15 Conclusion and a closing poem Recommended Resources Walden by Henry David Thoreau The World of Silence by Max Picard Living in Liturgical Time by Terence Sweeney "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening" by Robert Frost "Mossbawn": Two Poems in Dedication by Seamus Heaney Also on The Forum Thoreau's Cabin Life: Why It's Not Anti-Social to Savor Solitude by Mike Ortiz Handling Time Gently by Rob Greving The Freedom to Form Bonds: Kevin Majeres on Mindfulness and Attention with Kevin Majeres Forming Deep Workers with Cal Newport What Is the Difference between Free Time and Leisure? by Joe Bissex

From the very start, the founders of The Heights understood education to consist in the communication of a culture. As culture often enters a boy's mind through his senses, an important means of this transmission is the art and architecture of a school. Indeed, in many ways buildings embody the ideals of an institution. This week Joe Cardenas, head of mentoring and long-time art history teacher, joins us for a conversation on the importance of beauty in education. Rooting the conversation in the American tradition, Joe helps us see why and how the art and architecture of schools is as important as the books in its curriculum. As we hear from Joe, the art on a school's walls become the images adorning a student's soul. If we want to help our boys be at home in their very selves, the art of schools is an indispensable means to this end. Chapters 1:25 An evening of art for parents at The Hawthorn School 4:40 Art and beauty in the American tradition 5:35 Washington's leadership at Valley Forge 7:23 Why does beauty matter? 9:00 The museum of our soul and the archive of our experiences 10:43 What is the role of beauty in a school building? 14:13 Pope Benedict XVI on Beauty 16:00 Cardinal Newman on Beauty 17:22 Beauty and the daily reality of boys 21:25 Beauty in business 24:00 Robert Jackson and the early years of The Heights 28:30 Churchill's speech on rebuilding the House of Commons Additional Resources Adoremus.org's explanation of the Four Seasonal Marian Anthems (includes history and translation) PDF of Music and Lyrics to Alma Redemtoris Mater from gregorian-chant-hymns.com Speech on the Rebuilding of the House of Commons by Winston Churchill Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson The Feeling of Things, the Contemplation of Beauty by Joseph Ratzinger A Catholic Eton? by Paul Shrimpton Also on the Forum School Tone, the Most Powerful Teacher with Alvaro de Vicente Building Little Houses: Why Random Art Projects Are Awesome by Joe Bissex Manners: The Art of Happiness by Robert Greving Why Our Politics Needs Poetry with Dr. Matthew Mehan Five Fruits of a Poetic Education by Nate Gadiano

In many schools, education is understood in reductively intellectual terms. The point of teaching, it would seem, is merely to inform, to fill the mind with data, to train the intellect to perform tasks and solve puzzles. To be sure, information and intellectual virtues are essential aspects of education; but they are not the whole, and to make them so would be to reduce the person to his mind. In this talk, taken from our recent Art of Teaching Conference, Anton Vorozhko helps us understand the role of the heart in the education of the whole human person. Starting with a reflection on the greatest of teachers, Christ—the one to whom all other teachers ought ultimately to point—Anton offers advice at once practical and personal. His talk centers on three areas, or apostolates, which he suggests teachers should consider: presence, correction, and prayer. In the end, considering these three apostolates will help teachers turn their daily work into what St. John Henry Newman called a cor ad cor loquitur—a heart speaking unto heart—making his task not only to inform the mind but equally to move the heart. Chapters 0:05 Other men are teaching! 1:00 Looking to the ultimate models: Our Lord and many of the saints 3:40 The dream of Don Bosco and the Preventive System 7:20 Conquer through love: seeing Christ in our classroom 10:03 Not a job, a vocation 11:24 Three apostolates of the teacher: presence, correction, prayer 11:40 Apostolate of presence 15:30 Apostolate of correction 17:48 Suggestions from Don Bosco 19:05 Apostolate of prayer 21:45 St. John Paul II as a university professor Additional Resources Forty Dreams of St. John Bosco: From St. John Bosco's Biographical Memoirs by St. John Bosco Witness to Hope: The Biography of Pope John Paul II by George Weigel Also on The Forum The Art of Teaching: On Forming Contemplative Souls with Rich Moss Developing Your Son's Will with Andy Reed The Freedom to Form Bonds: Kevin Majeres on Mindfulness and Attention with Dr. Kevin Majeres The Talk and Beyond with Michael Moynihan

In this episode, we feature a recorded lecture given by Rich Moss in his introductory presentation at the Art of Teaching conference hosted by The Heights Forum last week. In this talk, Rich explains why teaching is an art, what that art is, and what are the tools utilized by the teaching artist.

Boys love concrete details and, even more, they love when those concrete details form the fabric of a hero's tale. Indeed, as Aristotle himself knew, better than telling adolescents merely about virtue is giving them examples of heroes, for good men are not made in theory, but in practice and boys need to see virtues practiced to be inspired themselves. What better place to turn than an author who has taught generations of leaders, not least of which were our own country's founders. That man is Plutarch and our guide is Tom Cox, one of the architects of the eighth grade core humanities class and current upper school classics teacher. In this episode, Mr. Cox shows why and how we teach Plutarch to our boys. He explains why it is important to find the good even in heroes that are less than saints and helps us understand that education is more than something that merely happens; it requires a boy's freedom. Although heroes may not be saints, they are good starting points. It is perhaps not mere happenstance that Plutarch wrote his biographies as the Evangelists were writing their lives of life's Author. As the Greek philosopher was a master at portraying those little details which form a hero's character, it is the man from Nazareth who teaches us to turn them into heroic verse—and that is the beginning of holiness. Chapters 1:15 How did you find Plutarch? The eighth grade core A biographical approach to history 4:20 Why read Plutarch? A good storyteller An inspiration to Shakespeare 6:10 What does Plutarch tell us about being a good man? The peak of a mountain of tradition Seeing the goodness first: heroes and saints 13:10 What are some of the best lives to take a look at? Alcibiades Mark Antony Publius Cicero Cato the Younger 19:54 Connecting pieces of the curriculum with Plutarch Government and Literature 20:20 Gospels 22:35 On the formation of leaders 24:20 Connecting to the American leadership 28:10 Plutarch and the education of citizens 33:04 Where to start? Alexander the Great and Pompey Brutus and Caesar 36:09 How to teach Plutarch Difficulty of translations A little at a time 38:15 The Plutarch Podcast and Grammaticus.co Additional Resources The Plutarch Podcast Grammaticus.co Lives by Plutarch Also on The Forum Writing and Thought; Oratory and Ethics: What we Give Our 7th Graders in the Core with Tom Cox History the Way It Was… And the Way It Should Be by Mark Grannis Aristotle on the Student's Job by Tom Cox Seneca on the Teacher's Job by Tom Cox

This week on HeightsCast, we feature headmaster Alvaro de Vicente's open house speech on the mission and vision of The Heights School. In the speech, Alvaro helps parents discern the right school for their son. Understanding education to be essentially about partnering with parents to transmit a culture, he encourages parents to thoughtfully consider the culture of our school and how it relates to the culture of their own homes. In addition, Mr. de Vicente offers a few words on our vision of manhood, suggesting that to be a good man, one must also be quite dangerous: powerful enough to do damage, but with the moral character to do great things. Chapters 1:17 How to discern the right school for your son 1:45 Education as transmission of culture 2:46 Our vision 3:20 Dangerously good: what it means to be a man 6:15 Our goal 6:50 How to make this vision a reality 6:57 Partnership with parents 8:35 Growth in virtue 11:40 Model the culture and counsel your sons Additional Resources Against All Hope: A Memoir of Life in Castro's Gulag by Armando Valladares The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis Also on The Forum The Man Fully Alive with Alvaro de Vicente Self-Mastery: Alvaro de Vicente on Fostering Interior Freedom in Schools with Alvaro de Vicente Who Am I?: The Question of Persona with Alvaro de Vicente Our Little Protectors: How Do WE See Our Boys? with Alvaro de Vicente Forming Wise, Courageous Risk-Takers with Alvaro de Vicente

This week on HeightsCast, we feature a recording of the 2022 Headmaster's Lecture on the man fully alive. In this lecture, Mr. Alvaro de Vicente helps us understand what we mean when we use St. Irenaeus' oft-quoted though seldom understood words that gloria Dei est vivens homo: the glory of God is living man. Mr. de Vicente shares his thoughts on the destination and the road ahead, suggesting that to live fully on earth we must understand that the fullness of life is found only in heaven. And if we are to reach this destination which is our destiny, we should see this life as practice for the next. In particular, he offers three actions that are the best practice for heaven: To play To see To commit Taking us through each of these, Mr. de Vicente helps us to approach life in a playful way, taking ourselves lightly and others seriously; to discover the beauty of the world, contemplating with loving eyes and a grateful heart; and to commit fully, passionately persevering in our love for others. Our boys will not live these ideals perfectly—we will not live them perfectly—but if together we begin and begin again often, we will be well on the way; and that will be a taste of heaven. Chapters 2:43 Origins of the tagline "Men fully alive" 4:01 Man fully alive: what does this mean? 4:14 Common notions 5:18 Man as the masterpiece of God 7:56 What is man? 9:01 Crisis of masculinity: either brutes or wimps 9:45 Life on earth as a preparation for heaven 11:07 What is heaven? 12:36 Practice for heaven 13:16 A man with a mission 16:31 To play 16:33 Physical play 19:06 Approaching life in a playful way 22:31 A game with two halves 26:09 To see 27:56 Blindness as an illness of the soul 29:36 The Little Prince and our inability to see beauty 30:54 When the truth complicates my life 32:48 Who you are and what you are here for 33:32 On contemplation 34:36 Finding beauty 36:47 Life as a museum 37:21 Seeing with the mind's eye 39:41 Seeing with the heart 41:33 To commit 42:11 The man in a wheelchair 43:40 Closing doors 45:20 On the passions 48:01 Commitment is different from a self-help book 48:41 Screwtape on love and marriage 51:58 Faithfulness over time is the name of love (Benedict XVI) 52:41 The danger of overcommitting 54:26 Conclusion Also on The Forum Foundations of Hope: Raising Optimistic Men Fully Alive with Alvaro de Vicente The Education of "Men Fully Alive": The Mission and Vision of The Heights with Alvaro de Vicente Who Am I?: The Question of Persona with Alvaro de Vicente Our Little Protectors: How Do WE See Our Boys? with Alvaro de Vicente Forming Wise, Courageous Risk-Takers with Alvaro de Vicente In Defense of Victory by Kyle Blackmer Additional Resources Against Heresies by St. Irenaeus

In this week's episode, we discuss science fiction with Mr. Joe Breslin, fifth grade teacher and soon-to-be published author of Other Minds: 13 Tales of Wonder and Sorrow. Surveying the wide umbrella of literature and film termed "sci-fi," Mr. Breslin helps us understand what makes this genre of literature valuable, interesting, and beautiful. As Mr. Breslin explains, science fiction done well offers a celebration of the human person, showing us in often strange ways what is possible for us as thinking beings. Moreover, by removing us from the humdrum of our ordinary lives and instilling a sense of awe as we experience another world, science fiction can provide new insights into old problems, helping us rediscover the wonder of our own everyday lives. And this is often much needed–for although our world may never be lacking in wonders, we may at times find our weary selves lacking in the wonder to see it. Chapters 1:40 What is science fiction? 2:20 Science fiction vs. fantasy 4:30 Kinds of science fiction Space opera Hard sci-fi Dystopia Post-apocalyptic Steampunk Military Horror Classic 11:30 Insights from different genres 13:03 Personal favorites of Mr. Breslin 16:10 Why is science fiction valuable? 17:37 Perception vs. reality 18:27 Anthropology through another lens 19:19 Science fiction as a humanistic kind of literature 22:13 Challenges of writing science fiction 28:45 Mr. Breslin's own writing 30:30 A common thread: strange encounters 32:32 Self-publishing 34:35 Good fiction infused with Faith 38:38 Why read science fiction? 40:25 A caveat: the danger of focusing on man under a single aspect 42:43 Literature: utility and enjoyment 44:50 Learn more about Mr. Breslin's work Also on The Forum Modern Literature: On Curating the Contemporary with Michael Ortiz Guiding Our Boys through Modern Literature with Joe Breslin and Lionel Yaceczko Exploring and Expressing the Human Condition through Literature with Michael Ortiz Forum Reviews Additional Resources Joey Breslin Writes, Mr. Breslin's writing website

From the boys' choir in the lower school to the men's chorus in the upper school, informal performances at faculty dinners to songs at the annual Maryland Day Gala, singing echoes throughout the whole of The Heights experience. This week, we sit down with Mr. Patrick Love, music teacher at The Heights since 2004, to discuss not only when and where we sing at The Heights but why we love to sing so much. As you'll hear, singing—broadly understood—is at the heart of our school's mission. Cantare amantis est, St. Augustine tells us: singing belongs to the one who loves. And as Arthur Clutton-Brock wrote, "education ought to teach us how to be in love always and what to be in love with." In educating our boys to become men fully alive, then, we are ultimately helping them to love, to find their voice, and to fall in love with One who sings them into existence. Chapters 3:40 Where does singing happen at The Heights? 4:30 A musical history of The Heights 8:00 Where does singing happen amongst the faculty? 12:27 What motivates us to sing? Why do we sing? 13:45 Only the lover sings 15:30 From The Magician's Nephew 18:40 Singing: the real deal 21:00 Love, education, and singing at the crossroads 22:23 Fr. Luigi Giussani and the CL Songbook 23:30 Singing in the home 25:28 John Senior 29:45 Cal Newport on technology fasts 31:10 On iTunes 32:46 Singing in the homeroom: teaching as singing 39:00 Singing and silence Also on The Forum Leisure and Acedia: R.J. Snell on Contemplative Homes in a Frenetic Age with R.J. Snell Digital Minimalism: Creating a Philosophy of Personal Technology Use with Cal Newport What Is the Difference between Free Time and Leisure? by Joe Bissex Fall Poems We Love to Memorize by Tom Cox Additional Resources Only the Lover Sings: Art and Contemplation by Josef Pieper In Tune with the World: A Theory of Festivity by Josef Pieper The Risk of Education: Discovering Our Ultimate Destiny by Fr. Luigi Giussani The Restoration of Christian Culture by John Senior Education at the Crossroads by Jacques Maritain The Magician's Nephew by C.S. Lewis

This week on HeightsCast we talk with upper school head, Michael Moynihan, about a new initiative of his on the Forum: the Initiative for the Renewal of Science Education. In the episode, Michael discusses the need for a new synthesis in the liberal arts, combining the best of modern science with the wisdom of ages. In particular, he explains how the recent tendency in science education to begin with theory and then proceed to phenomena is unscientific, producing students with a habit of intellectual surrender, rather than the inspiration to become great scientists.