Objective
The capstone of a classical education, the Senior Thesis course provides a final opportunity for students to reflect on the wisdom and practice the skills their education has fostered.
Prompt
Every senior thesis prompt should be formulated in a way that encourages students to engage with the greatest ideas, works, and minds while wrestling with real problems concerning human nature, the human good, and the natural order. The prompt should not direct students to write research papers, to report on things they have already mastered, or to develop arguments based on personal belief or opinion. Instead, the prompt should lead students to employ all their skills of reading, reasoning, and rhetoric in pursuit of universally accessible truths that are worth knowing for their own sake.
Documents for Rising Seniors
Awards
Demosthenes Award for Senior Thesis Winner
Demosthenes was an Athenian orator who rallied the people of Athens to oppose the military power of Philip of Macedon. His moving speeches became legendary as he handled complex issues with skill and grace. Demosthenes’ name has become synonymous with eloquence and well-crafted argumentation. The Demosthenes Award is given to the student who demonstrates excellence in all three pillars of the Senior Thesis program: essay, presentation, and defense.
Cicero Award for Senior Thesis Honors Mention
Cicero was a Roman senator known for his gift of rhetoric. He blended various schools of rhetoric to create a persuasive and distinctive style which solidified his place in the history of great orators. The Cicero Award is given to a student who demonstrates excellence in presentation and defense.
2026 Senior Thesis Winners
Grace Nungesser
The Truth of Innate Value in a Dehumanizing Age
Charlotte Trouba
From Making Bread to Breaking Bread: An Exploration of Fellowship and Feasting Through Middle-Earth and Beyond