Parents

On Tuesday, in between Don Rags sections, Thomas Aquinas College students made their way over to St. Augustine Hall for the campus blood drive. United Blood Service set up a makeshift clinic in one of the classrooms, and students dropped by throughout the day to make their sanguinary contributions.

Five years after his graduation from Thomas Aquinas College, Tim Cantu (’10) returned to campus this past weekend to offer advice to students who hope to pursue careers in law.

Marking the midpoint of the semester, and in anticipation of next week’s Don Rags, members of the Class of 2016 took to the Ventura beach after classes on Tuesday for an event they dubbed “Rejuniorate.” Organizers defined the term, originally coined by the Class of 2014, as “a renewal of spirits that are wearied due to two weekly seminars and an overload of Newton” and “a time to relax and reminisce with one’s classmates of the last 2½ years.” The event included a sunset barbeque, sports, a

The latest speaker in the Office of Career Advisement’s series of career talks was Catholic television host and producer Daniel Rabourdin, who on Tuesday offered practical advice and encouragement to students who are interested in pursuing careers in film and television. “Start now as a hobby. “Make little movies, right now. Write little scripts, right now,” Mr. Rabourdin urged. “Volunteer to work for free. Fortunately, we are close to where it all happens in Hollywood. Develop those skills, the writing and editing.”

This past weekend some 25 Thomas Aquinas College seniors and tutors enjoyed an educational tour of one of Los Angeles’s finest art museums led by an expert docent — College Governor Maria O. Grant.

On Saturday Director of Student Services Mark Kretschmer presented a Career Strategies workshop about job discernment, networking, résumé- and cover-letter writing, and interview preparation. “One of the many blessings of a liberal education is that our graduates are prepared to pursue any line of work or studies,” says Mr. Kretschmer. “The key is that they take time to discern what they are being called to do, and that includes networking with professionals, including our alumni, to research various fields and explore their options.”

In keeping with His Holiness Pope Francis’s call for a Year of Consecrated Life, Thomas Aquinas College has selected as its 2015 Commencement Speaker one of the preeminent women religious in the United States, Sr. Regina Marie Gorman, O.C.D.

The students of Thomas Aquinas College celebrated Mardi Gras a few days early this year with a Venice-themed dance in St. Joseph Commons on Saturday. The event included student-produced entertainment, costumes, feasting, and plenty of swing dancing:

The rules of Thomas Aquinas College’s Cookie Cook-Off are simple: Teams get one evening to bake their confections, working entirely from scratch. Recipes and ingredients are left to students’ own devices and imaginations. The next day, a select panel of tutors and administrators evaluate the cookies on the basis of several criteria, including taste and presentation.

This year’s winners:

1st place — “Needle in a Haystack”
2nd place — “Double Stuffed Delights”
3rd place — “The Exposition of Volcanic Qualities”