By Alexander Gay, Publications Intern

After Convocation and the inauguration of President Matthew Walz, the newly matriculated Class of 2030 rose early the next morning to prepare for the First Annual Convocation Lobster Boil.

Piling into a van, the Freshmen traveled down to Boston Harbor with their Natural History instructor, Dr. Michael Taylor. There they met Captain Fred Penney, who worked together with Dr. Taylor to make this expedition possible. “Captain Penney was very welcoming and friendly,” one student remarked, “and he was very engaging.”

Boarding his ship, the Tuppence, they sailed out from a pier in South Boston, past Fort Independence—one of only three “star fortresses” in New England—to the far side of Spectacle Island. There, Captain Penney retrieved his trap lines, which were filled with lobsters and various crabs, and described the work of lobstering to the class.

Lobstering, he explained, is done with very careful attention to the protection of egg-bearing females and young lobsters. All the lobsters have to be measured and returned to the sea if they are not the correct size. Similarly, the egg-bearing females are marked with a v-notch before being thrown back in so that they can easily be identified in the future as fertile lobsters. “Lobstering is one of the only truly artisanal commercial fisheries in existence today,” Dr. Taylor remarked. “Lobster fishermen have always sought to conserve the very same animal that puts food on their tables.”

After sailing back into the harbor, the group bought 110 lobsters from Captain Penney—including those they had caught that morning—and returned to campus. There, the piazza was transformed for a lobster boil. Matthew Salafia ’28 oversaw the cooking; Dr. Taylor gave a lesson on lobster biology; and students and faculty alike joined in to enjoy the celebration—including those who had never seen a lobster before!

As the dinner drew to a close, the students flocked to the Convocation tent for the Dudley Laufman Memorial Contra Dance. The Contra Banditos, a live band that has often performed for contra dances at the College, came to commemorate and celebrate Mr. Laufman, who passed away earlier this year. Mr. Laufman was partial to TMC events, and the students fondly remember him as a lively and entertaining dance caller. The band and students were glad to celebrate the Convocation Contra Dance in his honor.

For further reading:

A Unifying Experience: Thomas More College Welcomes the Class of 2030

Matthew Walz Inaugurated as Fourth President of Thomas More College of Liberal Arts