Caleb's Senior Year

 

Caleb is graduating from high school in one week! 

As his Midland Classical Academy career comes to a close, several milestones have marked  the "rites of passage" as an MCA senior. All seniors are assigned a "senior project." This means they serve as a tutor assistant in one of the classes for younger students, anywhere from 7th-11th grades. Caleb's project has been Bible Study Methods. He has helped with everything from grading papers to teaching class. The tutor for his senior project also serves as the adviser for the senior oral.

During the 8th grade year, the students begin public speaking assignments. As they begin reading the "great books", they wrestle with big ideas and multiple worldviews. The classes are designed to encourage debate and deep thought. Each year builds on that foundation until the culminating task of the senior oral is assigned. The senior oral is the crowning achievement, demonstrating the student's ability to start with an idea and develop it into a speech that is delivered from memory, in cap and gown, before a large audience. The oral is intended to reflect their experience at Midland Classical. Not only do they have to get through the public speaking part, they must face a tutor board and defend their paper. 

Caleb's topic was focus. He skillfully explained why a man must have his eyes fixed on heaven if he is to have a powerful impact on earth. He began with this quote by C. S. Lewis in Mere Christianity:

"Hope is one of the theological virtues. this means that a continual looking forward to the eternal world is not (As some modern people think) a form of escapism or wishful thinking, but one of the things a Christian is meant to do.  If you read history you will find that the Christians who did most for the present world world were those who thought most of the next. The Apostles themselves, who set on foot the conversion of the Roman Empire, the great men who built the Middle Ages, the English Evangelicals who abolished the Slave Trade, all left their mark on Earth, precisely because their minds were occupied with Heaven."  (emphasis added)

This truly is Caleb's desire and this quote from his paper is how he summarized his oral:

I want to be a man of such intense focus that anything not of eternal significance falls away. I want my life to be a clear reflection of Christ to the world. The only way I can accomplish this is to allow myself to be totally captivated by the Glory of my Father.

During his preparation for his oral, he asked if he could take a road trip and spend some time alone with the Lord. He drove to Fort Davis and spent a few days alone in a tent seeking the Lord. He had been fasting for a couple of days before he left and continued his fast for the first couple of days he was there. During that time, he went on a hike (not always a good idea when you have been fasting, but the Lord protected him) and spent some time at the top of one of the Davis Mountains overlooking the fort. He took this picture with his phone and sent it to me. I love it! 

Yes, I am a proud mother! 

After presenting his paper, he then had to defend it. Three tutors put him through two rounds of two or three questions each. And these were not multiple choice or true/false ones, either! They were probing questions requiring Caleb to think deeply. I was squirming, he was fine!! He handled himself very well and was able to explain his thoughts under a great deal of pressure. 

After he had satisfactorily answered all their questions, tradition allows him to ask a question of his tutor board. Many times, the students use this opportunity for comedic relief. Caleb was no exception. The question he posed to them has to be one of the classics of all time. He prefaced his question by referring to a discussion about cannibalism that took place as the students discussed one of the "great books" they had read. Caleb asked the question, "If all the tutors from MCA were stranded on a deserted island, which one would be your first victim and why?" Needless to say, uproarious laughter ensued! 

It was really interesting to watch the tutors as they contemplated their response. They sat there for a moment, then one of them reached for the microphone. He explained that, since he is rather diminutive in size the large, strong tutors posed the greatest threat. He named a tutor, based on that criteria, that he would choose as the first victim. Then he added a side note: because his intended victim is large, he would also feed a large number of people. That just about had people rolling in the isles.

His oral was last Monday. On Friday, another rite of passage took place. The Fine Arts Two class has, for the last six years, made a movie. This year the seniors tackled their most ambitious script yet. The story line for their movie came from the true story of the grandfather of their tutor. He was in World War II and was shot down behind enemy lines. He was the only survivor of the crash. Through a series of miracles, he finally made it home to his family and fiance on Christmas Eve. Caleb played the pilot of the bomber that was shot down. He died. :(

                                   (Caleb in his costume from the movie)

The class started at the beginning of the year discussing possible ideas. Once they decided on their story, they had to write the script, plan costumes, places to film, props, etc., etc., etc. Caleb worked on cinematography, sound, editing, acting, and wrote a piece of music for the soundtrack. Everyone had to wear lots of hats. All the filming took place over the weekends, to allow time for homework during the week. They traveled from Austin to Cloudcroft. The Commemorative Air Force Museum allowed them to actually film inside Fifi, the only B29 bomber left in the world. It was a HUGE undertaking, but the results were amazing. The premiere was held at a community theater that seats over 400 people. They had to offer two showings and sold almost every single ticket! It was so precious because the little elderly widow of the main character in the movie was in attendance. She received a huge round of applause.

                      (Caleb, Kregg and I at the premiere of Correspondence)

He received the character trait award this month for Humility. It is voted on by the student body and the tutors. The tutor in charge of the movie, whose grandparents were portrayed, wrote each student that helped with the movie a note. He gave it to them with their DVD copy of the movie. His note read:

Caleb,

Thank you for your leadership & humble example. You did a great job of setting the tone in work ethic & humility on a consistent basis. You are a natural leader that God will use in mighty ways as you follow Him.  This spills over into your portrayal of Chuck Harkins (his movie character) where your crew will follow you anywhere. Your cinematography is great, & thank you for leading the class in preproduction & for putting in the hours to fix the sound. Great job!

                                                    In Him,

                                                    Mr. S

Yes, I'm a proud mother. Proud of the man Caleb is becoming, proud of how he is pursuing the Lord and seeking to honor and glorify Him in everything he does. I am so blessed to have him for a son.

                                      (Caleb and his big sister, Mackenzy)

Lord, please continue to draw Caleb to Yourself. Help him to grow in wisdom and stature and in favor with You and with men. Bless the work of his hands. Bless the desires of his heart. Thank you for the fact that You hold him firmly in Your hands. Help him have a clear understanding of Your purpose for his life and may He walk in the very center of Your will all his life.

     (From the left, Elizabeth, me, Josh, Kregg, Caleb, 

            Rebekah, Mackenzy, Ben, and Hannah)