The Christian Way Forums / The Christian Way Forums / Principia, College Orgs, and Other College Activities Related to CS

Tell Me About Principia

surferforjesus — Mon, 14 Nov 2005 19:35:20 GMT

I was on the Principia Website... very very nice and looks like a real high end prep school like the ones I grew up around in New England.

Please tell me about it? Is it well run? Do they teach Biology? Is it well endowed?

Are there kids from outside CS there?

Also, is enrollment in decline like the rest of CS is?

Thank you

SFJ

Hypocracy at Principia

Concerned Dad — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 21:32:15 GMT

I am not a Christian Scientist, but the mother of my daughter is. As a result, my daughter attends Principia. I'm Catholic, though I've never been terribly devout. I thought a Christian school would be a good thing for my daughter's enrichment. But what I see happening around her terrifies me.

Since I'm not a Christian Scientist, my daughter relieves medicine when needed and vitamins regularly. She understands the importance of exercise and nutrition, and has regular visits to a doctor. She's extremely healthy, and stands in stark contrast to most of her classmates; most of whom seem undernourished, unkempt, and slightly less joyful. I'm sure they're delightful children, but it disheartens me to see them walking around in clothes with holes, unwashed hair, untreated vision problems, etc. when (and when I began noticing this I was extremely horrified) their mothers are walking campus with Gucci sunglasses and Coach purses, or driving their state-of-the-art minivans while their children are wearing sandals in the winter.

And then I began relieving the emails: telling me to ignore reports of a potential child predator on campus, to allow my daughter to maintain her normal routine without protection and to instead "pray for his truth." I relieved mails that obviously indicated that the school was crumbling financially - programs were being cut, the football team was eliminated. Yet Christian Scientists were urged to ignore the economic depression we are in and continue to throw absurd amounts of money at the school, keep buying those Luis Vaton bags and look away as our homes go into foreclosure. Principia is disintegrating, and it is taking our families with it.

What will it take for the Christian Science church to wake up and quit plummeting its members into destruction??

Help, finding a Mrs. Eddy quote!

Woody81 — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 14:59:18 GMT

Hi,

I am a lifelong follower of Jesus, although sadly at times I have wandered far astray. I got engaged to a wonderful woman who graduated from Principia a few years ago, and the experience of talking about spirituality has reawakened my own passion to seek Christ. My fiance and I have really talked long and hard about this, and there is a M.B.E. quote that I wanted to share with her that I came across but cannot find again. It was something to the extent of :

"It would make little difference to my spiritual state with God if the galilean prophet had never lived."

or perhaps it was more like "whether Jesus (or, "galilean prophet") had lived or died I would not be in a state other than the one that I am in right now with God"

or something close to that. I think she said "galilean prophet", in her usual style of reference to Him when challenging his supremacy or deity, rather than "Jesus" in the quote that I am looking for.

Ms. Principia was in disbelief when I tried to quote it, and supplying her with a reference would probably be eye opening for her as she is willing to do some questioning at this time.

[Please help me someone!
God bless,

Focus camp in UK

littlefly — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 11:11:50 GMT

Hi there,

has anyone heard of the Focus camp in UK which takes place every four years or anyone in here who ever went there?

WHAT ABOUT PRINCIPIA?

Anonymous — Mon, 02 May 2005 18:59:30 GMT

I really enjoy reading the posts on this excellent website. I've learned a lot, thought
a great deal, and processed many emotions, both positive and negative, about CS.

As I was educated in a secular university, I've always been curious about Principia,
the CS prep school and college. How large is it? Growing or declining? Solid or
ho-hum academic standards? How pricey? Do most of the students really follow
the CS "no smoking, drinking, or drugs" rules, or are they more "liberal" on these
issues? I wonder approximately what percentage of graduates actually stay in
CS during later adult life? Any other info? It's the only college for CS students,
but I don't know much about it. I'd like to learn more.

CS School

sleepylawyer — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 04:16:06 GMT

I am a parent, non CS, agnostic, who sent all her children to a CS based school, all senior staff are CS as are the Governors as we thought that it was a good school at the time, God given potential of every child drawn out etc. After 10 years at school recently had to complain about treatment of one child. Have turned a blind eye to other complaints in the past so as to keep everyone happy - some quite serious such as CS staff member taking a dyspraxia child's bag and desk and tipping them over and telling her to clear up the mess. Youngest child now refused after 7 years at the school to be passed up to next stage, only one out of 44 kids. Very few other students if at all are CS. Feel terribly let down, humiliated, cheated. Feel very guilty for sending my children there. Is there something about CS that will not brook criticism?? Also if CSers are maintaining the perfect outlook can they really be at all sympathetic on any level not just illnessto anyone else who does not/cannot/ won't have the same outlook. This seems to go against the grain of loving everyone.

Any comments thoughts support out there!

Cedars Camp Alumni

Jill in Michigan — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 20:59:25 GMT

Are there any alumni here? I was there form 1974-1980.

jill

The AU camp in Colorado

IleftCSin74 — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 14:21:52 GMT

[b][Moderator's note: message deleted by IleftCSin74's special request][/b]

At Prin on 9/11

Anonymous — Tue, 12 Sep 2006 21:24:08 GMT

With all the attention on yesterday's 5th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks I was thinking back to where I was that morning. It was my sophomore year at Prin and they used to always have the TVs in the concourse tuned to CNN. As I walked through the concourse on my way to class, I briefly caught a glimpse of something about an attack but didn't see enough to know the full extent of what had happened. There was a little bit of buzz about it in my economics class that morning. One student ran out of the class in tears after learning that the Pentagon had been hit, because her father worked there and she didn't know if he was ok. However, class went on without her. When class was over I had to walk through the concourse again to go back to my room. By then, there was a huge crowd of students watching CNN. Overall it was quiet in there but you could see the horror on people's faces. Suddenly one girl stepped out of the crowd and announced that we all needed to pray about this and we shouldn't stand there and be mesmerized by error.

I can remember how fiercely angry I was with that girl that morning. I wanted to yell at her to shut her mouth and have some sympathy for all our fellow Americans who had just died. I wanted to tell her she was an idiot for thinking that wasn't really happening. Unfortunately, I said nothing, I just followed everyone out of the concourse and went back to my room. No classes were cancelled that day and it seemed like everyone was pretending nothing had happened. I think they had a candle-lit hymn sing in the chapel that night, but I was too mad to attend.

In a strange way I am glad I was at Prin on September 11, 2001. The cold and unsympathetic CS community response to 9/11 was one of the reasons I began to question and dig into the religious teachings I had been raised on.

Courtney

Prin Alums "On Track"

Anonymous — Thu, 18 May 2006 23:13:20 GMT

I can't tell you how thrilled I was to find this site!

It has been so reassuring to read everyone's stories and know that we have a common bond.
A tape came to me from "Christianway" while attending Principia College. Six years later during grad school the tape finally made it to the car stereo on a road trip. Three years after, grace came to me and I became a Christian. One of the biggest challenges was the immediate loss of CS community before setting up a new network. Having attended both Principia Upper School (86) and College (90), along with being a counselor at Camp Owatonna leaving the CS world was a big departure. A lot of growth and fun was had during those developmental years at school and camp, inspite of the obvious unhealthy mental constrictions. By and large the educational heart seemed to be in the right place but the hypocracy was nerve racking. It is so freeing to realize that "I am not perfect", so I can toss that weight off my shoulders with a clear conscience and release the cognitive dissonance!

My favorite quote from the past is "The time for thinkers has come." I could not agree more. My two favorite days in life have been witnessing my brother's baptism and then being cleansed myself. Our paths have been difficult but God was with us all along and through the Holy Spirit Christ has found us all. (Sorry to be a little preachy but the last six years have literally been a re-birth.) By actually thinking, for a change, the chains and anguish of CS are starting to fall away.

It would be great to connect with others whether Prino's or not.
You all are doing a great thing by honestly communicating here!

(If any one is in the SF Bay Area, it might be fun to get a group together some time to support each other and revel in our collective progress.)

Cheers,
Paul

Attending Principia re-unions

Anonymous — Thu, 02 Mar 2006 13:55:43 GMT

I would like to hear any ex Prin alumni tell of their experience attending a Prin re-union. I graduated from Prin College in 1975, and have thought of attending many times, but since I no longer practice CS, I have decided against it. Does anyone else have the same hesitations? Even though I do not practice CS, I still would like to see the many friends I made during my time there, but feel that I would be out of place now. Has anyone tried it? Can you go back after leaving CS, and have a good time?
I'm anxious to hear.

Prin Alum 1975