Virtuous Manhood for Upper Grades

Virtuous Manhood provides young men with a structured time and place to pause and think seriously about who they are becoming. Rooted in Catholic moral teaching and philosophy, students will learn what virtue is, and why choosing what is good ultimately leads to greater freedom and human flourishing, even when that choice carries a cost. Through readings and candid discussion, students will learn to reason beyond the immediate consequences of a decision and follow choices toward their logical conclusions. They will ask whether a choice leads toward virtue and genuine freedom, settles for a lesser good, or ultimately causes harm. Topics will draw from the cardinal and theological virtues and the circumstances young men encounter in their relationships with themselves, their families, their communities, and God. Weekly assignments will consist of short readings and reflections that prepare students for deeper conversation and help them give names to the thoughts, ideas, and principles of Natural Law they already encounter in everyday life. Students will also be encouraged to follow their natural curiosity when a question or idea catches their attention.

• Computer: You will need a stable, reliable computer, running with a processor with a speed of 1 GHz or better on one of the following operating systems: Mac OS X with Mac OS 10.7 or later; Windows 8, 7, Vista (with SP1 or later), or XP (with SP3 or later). We do not recommend using an iPad or other tablet for joining classes. An inexpensive laptop or netbook would be much better solutions, as they enable you to plug an Ethernet cable directly into your computer. Please note that Chromebooks are allowed but not preferred, as they do not support certain features of the Zoom video conference software such as breakout sessions and annotation, which may be used by our teachers for class activities.
• High-Speed Internet Connection: You will also need access to high-speed Internet, preferably accessible via Ethernet cable right into your computer. Using Wi-Fi may work, but will not guarantee you the optimal use of your bandwidth. The faster your Internet, the better. We recommend using a connection with a download/upload speed of 5/1 Mbps or better. You can test your Internet connection here.
• Webcam: You may use an external webcam or one that is built in to the computer. Webcam Recommendations: Good (PC only) | Best (Mac and PC)
• Headset: We recommend using a headset rather than a built-in microphone and speakers. Using a headset reduces the level of background noise heard by the entire class. Headset Recommendations: USB | 3.5mm
• Zoom: We use a web conferencing software called Zoom for our classes, which enables students and teachers to gather from around the globe face to face in real time. Zoom is free to download and easy to use. To download Zoom:
  1. Visit zoom.us/download.
  2. Click to download the first option listed, Zoom Client for Meetings.
  3. Open and run the installer on your computer.
  4. In August, students will be provided with instructions and a link for joining their particular class.
• Scanner: In this class, students frequently submit homework assignments by scanning pages from their workbooks. Students and/or their parents should have easy access to a scanner and the ability to use it.