TAHOE SEMESTER LEGACY WEEKEND IS A CHANCE TO COME TOGETHER ALONG THE SHORES OF LAKE TAHOE TO CELEBRATE THE PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE OF THE TAHOE SEMESTER PROGRAM.
PAST: Calling all Tahoe Semester and High Sierra Alumni! Reunite with old friends, revisit the plenary classroom, and relive the adventure while learning more about the ways that the legacy lives on in the Tahoe Semester program.
PRESENT: Current students of the Tahoe Semester will have the chance to engage with the widespread network of Tahoe Semester and High Sierra alumni who have come before, seeing firsthand how you continue the legacy of this storied program!
FUTURE: Prospective students from the APCU will be invited to see what the Tahoe Semester is all about, and consider whether this program is a fit for you in a semester ahead.
Reunion
If you are an alumni of High Sierra or Tahoe Semester, there is no doubt that you are still in contact with many members of your cohort. While at Legacy Weekend, you will have the opportunity to reconnect with your friends and other members of the Tahoe Semester/High Sierra network. Accommodations are designed for community time in the evenings and morning. During the registration process, you can make requests for cabin-mates and we will do our best to assign you to the same cabin.
Activity
Take the opportunity to experience the best that the Tahoe Basin has to offer! Guided adventure activities will be available for you to enjoy, or you can fill up the car to explore nearby sites like Emerald Bay, Genoa, or Tahoe’s Desolation Wilderness. Or perhaps relaxation is more your style: blow up the inner-tubes and unfold your beach chairs to simply enjoy a day at the beach right here at Zephyr Point’s waterfront!
Plenary and Further Education
No matter where life has taken you since you were last in Dave Williams’ classroom – on Friday, you’re a scholar. Jump back into the classroom by joining the current Tahoe Semester students for a plenary discussion as they dive into the guiding question “What is nature?” An optional discussion session will also be available for those who came prepared by reading our assigned text.
Nostalgia and Celebration for Tahoe Semester
At Legacy Weekend, you’ll take a walk down memory lane with friends new and old while participating in the continued vision of High Sierra/Tahoe Semester as it starts a new chapter at Zephyr Point. Help us pass on the Legacy that precedes Tahoe Semester by sharing the history and traditions to the newest cohorts of students who will come to join this rich network of alumni.
The goal of Legacy Weekend is to be welcoming and accessible to friends of Tahoe Semester who represent many different walks and stages of life. With this in mind, we have done our best to make this an affordable opportunity for all by offering three program rates:
| Track | Rate |
|---|---|
| True Cost | $180 |
| Scholarship Cost | $100 |
True Cost: This rate reflects the true cost of housing, food, and activity fees for the weekend. If the True Cost is within your budget, we ask that you pay this full fee. If you are able, you can also consider paying it forward by offering a tax-deductible donation to the “Legacy Weekend Scholarship Fund” to help offset the costs for program participants receiving registration scholarships. Any excess donation for the 2023 event will be kept in a reserve for next year’s Legacy Weekend.
Scholarship Rate: For those who would like to attend, but the True Cost is outside of your budget, you can register at the “Scholarship Rate” for a program discount. The scholarship is funded by donations made to the “Legacy Weekend Scholarship Fund.” Everything about your experience at Legacy Weekend will be the same.
Can’t make it this year, but want to make a tax-deductible contribution to the “Legacy Weekend Scholarship Fund?” Click here.
Featured Presenter
David Williams, Ph.D., is a professor of philosophy and the director of the Tahoe Semester. In this role, he works with his Centre College colleagues to design the overall Tahoe curriculum while teaching humanities courses and facilitating the plenary course. He also arranges the co-curricular experiences (and really enjoys participating in them).
By training, David is a historian of philosophy specializing in Classical Greek thought. His areas of special research are Aristotle’s philosophy of mathematics and his philosophy of biology.
Pre-Reading Discussion
Section: Get a copy of our assigned text (TBD) and join your peers in scholarly discussion regarding the primary themes and takeaways.
How to support the Tahoe Semester: Learn from the Tahoe Semester and Zephyr Point staff how you can continue the legacy in the months and years ahead.
Thursday: Arrive at Zephyr Point Thursday afternoon/evening to get settled into your housing and attend a kickoff dinner.
Friday: Jump into the Tahoe Semester classroom by attending a plenary session alongside current students as they explore the question “What is Nature?” An optional breakout session will be available in the afternoon for participants who were able to complete the recommended pre-reading. Enjoy a dinner on the town with friends old and new.
Saturday: On Saturday, you’ll have the chance to explore the sights and sounds of the Tahoe Basin with a range of off-site and on-site activities. In the evening, break out your formalwear for a banquet dinner. Fingers crossed that it’s somebody’s birthday – no High Sierra reunion would be complete without a Birthday Bowl!
Sunday: Wrap up your weekend along with a lakeside time of reflection and farewell to your friends – until next year, that is!
If your family make-up has changed and you have a partner, spouse, or kids you’d like to bring with you, they are welcome! There are two primary options available to you:
If you plan to stay in a shared cabin, you may register your family through our online registration system. There are special rates available for children depending on whether they need a bed and meals for the weekend. We know that all children are different, so you may choose to bring your own pack-and-play or other portable bed, or to supply all of their meals for the weekend. We welcome both of these accommodations, and ask that you indicate your family’s needs by registering your child for one of the following three options:
| Track | Rate |
|---|---|
| Child – Bed + Meals | $100 |
| Child – Meals only | $40 |
| Child – No bed or meals | $0 |
We acknowledge that the registration process can be a bit awkward through the online system, so if you run into any issues getting your family registered, please reach out to the Program Department by email at programs@zephyrpoint.org or by calling 775-588-6759 ext. 113. We will get you all set up!
*Please call or email our office if you are interested in private accommodations for your family.
The APCU Tahoe Semester officially launched in January 2022, but its roots go back nearly 20 years to the High Sierra Program at Azusa Pacific University. When that program relocated to the Zephyr Point Presbyterian Conference Center in 2020, the Association of Presbyterian Colleges and Universities (APCU) was given an opportunity to take over sponsorship and open the program to students at all 54 APCU member institutions. One of those members, Centre College, agreed to rework the curriculum and develop a new set of courses built around environmental science, humanistic inquiry, and social justice that celebrate the beauty and the wonder of the High Sierra and the indigenous people of that region.
The result is a remarkable educational opportunity that brings students and faculty together in a peaceful, natural setting to share classroom learning and wilderness experiences as a cohesive, intentional community. For more information, visit https://www.tahoesemester.org/about
