The College in the News
Curriculum, Chapel, Dr. Dillon, and Students Garner Headlines
(Fall 2009 Newsletter)
Pacific Coast Business Times
"College Has Tools for Making Business Leaders," reads
the headline in the August 14-20 edition of the Pacific Coast
Business Times. The article that follows examines the ways that
liberal education prepares well-rounded graduates to thrive in most
any career or discipline. "Thomas Aquinas College may have
the key to educating better employees for companies everywhere"
the article begins. "The Santa Paula school's uncommon curriculum
and learning structure set it apart from other liberal arts colleges.
But most important to employers, graduates are trained in sparking
discussions and handling ethical issues."
"EWTN Live"
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Thomas Aquinas College Interim President Peter DeLuca with
EWTN host Rev. Mitch Pacwa, S.J.
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Thomas Aquinas College's president and communications manager appeared
on the EWTN television network for the September 30 edition of "EWTN
Live" with host Rev. Mitch Pacwa, S.J. The show highlighted
Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity Chapel, featuring video footage
from the Dedication Masses in March and Pope Benedict XVI's blessing
of the Chapel cornerstone in 2008. Noting that many colleges "draw
attention to themselves through their sports teams," Fr. Pacwa
credited Thomas Aquinas College with instead "doing it through
orthodoxy in the classroom and in the new architecture visible on
campus."
Legatus Magazine
The cover story of the September 2009 issue of Legatus Magazine,
the flagship publication of the national organization for Catholic
business leaders, spotlights the College's new chapel and offers
a memorial to late president Dr. Thomas E. Dillon. "Dillon,
a Legatus member who joined the Thomas Aquinas faculty in 1972,
shepherded the college through a period of growth that included
the addition of nine buildings - among them the chapel, library
and science building," writes reporter Judy Roberts. "He
raised nearly $100 million and gained national recognition for the
college's Great Books program." In an accompanying editorial,
editor Patrick Novecosky reflects, "Each person was created
by God. Each person was created for God. Tom Dillon lived that reality,
and the world is a better place for it."
Ventura County Star
A front-page feature story in the August 25 edition of the Ventura
County Star featured a spectacular photo of the Most Rev. J.
Michael Miller, C.S.B., archbishop of Vancouver, offering the Convocation
Mass in Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity Chapel. Just above, the
headline proclaims, "Staying Faithful to its Teachings."
The ensuing story observes that "Thomas Aquinas College is
not your typical modern university," and that it is "attracting
national attention for its small classes, generous financial aid
and strong academics." The article further reports that "Thomas
Aquinas stands out among Catholic colleges because Catholicism plays
such a major role in its identity and curriculum."
Sacred Architecture
Duncan Stroik, the design architect for Our Lady of the Most Holy
Trinity Chapel, penned a moving tribute to late president Dr. Thomas
E. Dillon in the June 2009 issue of Sacred Architecture,
the journal of the Institute for Sacred Architecture. "Behind
every great building and its architect there is a visionary patron,"
writes Mr. Stroik. "Someone who thinks big, takes risks, raises
funds, and above all recognizes the significance of architecture."
Dr. Dillon was, he adds, "like most patrons … an incredibly
busy man, but he found time to do the things that mattered, such
as visiting artists' workshops and traveling to Europe to pick out
marble." The architect and the patron, says Mr. Stroik, worked
"in the spirit of co-authors," and the "length of
the nave, the heavenly light from the clear windows, and the simple
color palette … all flowed from (Dr. Dillon's) vision for the
church and his own character."
Orange County Register
In its June 3 edition, the Orange County Register featured
a profile of Nicole Madro, the co-valedictorian at JSerra Catholic
High School in San Juan Capistrano, Calif., and now a member of
the College's Class of 2013. Noting that Miss Madro graduated with
a 4.7 GPA, the article quotes JSerra Principal Tom Waszak as praising
her "devotion to furthering the gospel message through service."
Asked where she sees herself in five years, Miss Madro replied,
"I will have finished college with a liberal arts degree, and
I will probably be working to earn money for graduate school. During
college, I will hopefully have gained a better sense of how I can
use my intellectual talents in a career that truly builds up society."
-- Qtrly Newsletter, Fall 2009
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