Knightly News

Episcopal's LAUNCH Day is set for Friday, March 18th and will showcase the expertise and talent of Upper School students. Thesis program participant Skyler Adams shares insight into the preparation required to make this special day happen.

Pouring syrup and bantering about jam, the Seminar class ate at Waffle House as the sun rose over LAUNCH day. As a group, we were tasked with supporting our senior class as they surmounted the final peak of their two year Thesis journey. An air of anticipation hung over the group—in just a year, we would reunite in the same Waffle House before presenting our own theses to the school. This anticipation largely framed the day: It made our purpose much greater than moving a few boxes, aiming a spotlight, or introducing a presentation. Rather, it compelled us to serve as apprentices, leaders, and strong community members.

Our crew was exceptionally small—only ten Seminar members to over twenty in Thesis. This made the day incredibly busy: to be everywhere  we needed to, we ran across campus, skipped breaks, and broke many sweats attempting to hoist the intense production that is LAUNCH day. In the rush of the day, we all realized the complexity of the presentations—LAUNCH organizers were charged with designing bridges that connect mountains of information and scholarship, and we had to build those bridges. As scholars embarking on research journeys of our own, observing our peers at the pinnacle of their projects made us realize the scope and significance of the work laid out before us. Though it might’ve scared us, we felt empowered. We now had summit fever to reach our own peaks, and we wouldn’t let up until our roles were reversed.

The foremost and most public duty of the crew is our introductions—before every presentation, a member of the crew steps onto the stage and reads a short blurb about each presenter before stepping off. Though the role may appear insignificant, in reality it is an incredibly anxious moment. It is the first time that many of us step onto a stage in front of our peers, and it flips over the hourglass counting down to our presentations next year: in a year or so, we would have to master our fear and bring our vulnerable ideas to classmates. Though that realization may be stark, watching the presenters come backstage after their presentations with an irrevocable smile and tears in their eyes promises that the work of the next year will be well worth it.

With our LAUNCH presentations only a few months away, I’ve come to realize that serving as crew is a sort of initiation: setting the stage for our older scholars, our figurative stage begins to materialize as we begin to grasp the magnitude of what is to come and the promise of success that lies just a year away.

Skyler Adams is an Episcopal senior thesis student. He has been a Knight for nine years. In that time, he has actively participated in Mock Trial, tennis and service learning. He has most enjoyed his involvement in the Thesis program and looks forward to sharing on LAUNCH Day.

The 2022 LAUNCH presenters will take the stage on Friday, March 18th. LAUNCH is a day for students from the Thesis and ESTAAR programs to share presentations that are a culmination of two years of study in their respective programs. It is a day of celebration and learning. See below for more on this year's group of student presenters.

The Episcopal School of Baton Rouge 2024-2025 application is now available! ​For more information on the application process, to schedule a tour, or learn more about the private school, contact us at [email protected] or 225-755-2685.