While McCallie sophomores and freshmen spent a day in testing, juniors and seniors participated in "2/2 Day," a series of small group discussions, seminars and presentations intended to prepare them for their college search or their transition to life beyond the Ridge.
The Class of 2015 spent the day engaged in "What Every McCallie Man Should Know," a series of presentations, seminars and topics intended to help seniors make the transition to college and adulthood. The five sessions were:
Hamilton County Sessions Court Judge Christie Mahn Sell (and mother of Thomas '19), on the legal implications of turning 18 in Tennessee;
Dan Chambliss '70, author and the Eugene M. Tobin Distinguished Professor of Sociology at Hamilton College, on "How to Have a Successful College Experience";
Sean Jenkins '97, the senior assistant to the President at the University of Virginia, on "Navigating the Current College Social Climate."
Lauren Winborne of Steer Smart, on issues around safe driving practices; and
faculty-led seminars on issues of "Appropriate Social Conduct."
"The aim of the day is to provide boys some essential information that doesn't necessarily get covered in the classroom setting," explained Dean of Student Life Bob Bires, who helped organize the day. "Their legal rights and obligations as adults, the kinds of difficult or challenging social situations they may encounter, the current climate on college campuses and how to maximize their experience."
Meanwhile, juniors spent the dady engaged in a day of small-group sessions to discuss a variety of issues and topics surrounding the college search process. In addition to Drs. Jenkins and Chambliss, who led several sessions for the juniors in the morning, McCallie's college guidance staff and three college admissions office professionals held sessions as well.
Erica Johnson (Lewis & Clark College), Suzette Stille (College of Charleston), Kim Heitzenrater (Sewanee) and Rick Clark (Georgia Tech) joined the others to run small group sessions for which the boys could sign up. Subjects included:
Making the Most of Your College Experience
Internships, Co-ops, Career Counseling
Transition to College Life (and Making a Large University Smaller)
Making the Most of College Visits
Engineering: The Major and the Career
Understanding the Financial Aid Process
Athletics in College
How Colleges Make Decisions: A View from the President's Office
Communicating with Colleges
The College Essay
Director of College Guidance Jeff Kurtzman said, "One of the most important parts of the search process, in our opinion, is getting the boys to take control of their own experience. We organized this day to give them some options, to let them attend the sessions that most interested them, and to provide useful information that in previous years could require meetings over the course of a whole semester."
Pictures from the sessions are available at photos.mccallie.org.