The Genuine Article

April 26, 2024

Barnstormers,

A Thaden education empowers students to discover new knowledge and produce original works of scholarship and artistic expression. It does so by giving them the skills and versatility to form novel questions, tinker with ideas, explore curiosities, gather and interrogate data, and think deeply, creatively, and independently. One of the most compelling demonstrations of a Thaden education is the senior thesis.

Over the past year, more than a dozen seniors have been producing senior theses under the guidance of faculty advisers. The process started last spring with the submission of their thesis proposals and culminates this week and next with the presentation and defense of their work before faculty, staff, fellow students, and special guests. The topics of these investigations are remarkable for their range, originality, and complexity – from a screen adaptation of Macbeth to a study of maternal health in Arkansas to a simulation of the fluid mechanics of Formula One racing. Equally impressive are the students’ composure and agility in presenting their findings and handling questions on their feet for the better part of an hour. 

This kind of mastery requires free inquiry, sustained investigation, sifting and sorting, drafting and re-drafting, and trial and error. It also requires a significant investment of faculty time and mentorship, the most precious resource at a great school devoted to true learning. Ultimately, the senior thesis process prepares students for scholarly and professional pursuits that call for deep thinking, rigorous investigation, and original expression – capacities that are increasingly scarce in a harried world of contracting attention spans. 

As we review twenty thesis proposals from rising seniors in the Class of 2025, it is clear that Thaden students have come to recognize the intrinsic value of this capstone experience and, more generally, our mastery-based model of teaching and learning. A Thaden education is the genuine article. 

Together we fly!

Clayton K. Marsh

Founding Head of School