Parents

It was a banner afternoon for the Class of 2020 on Tuesday, as the juniors triumphed in the annual Inter-Class Basketball Tournament. The women’s squad bested the seniors; the men, the sophomores. 

Reported one forlorn freshman, “The games weren’t even close.”

Congratulations, Class of 2020!

The students of Thomas Aquinas College celebrated Mardi Gras a few days early this year as the freshmen hosted a starry night-themed dance last Saturday night in St. Cecilia Hall. The event included student-produced entertainment on the St. Cecilia stage as well as costumes and swing dancing:

At the end of last Sunday’s Mass in the College’s New England chapel — at which the Blessed Sacrament was reposed, for the first time, in the chapel’s sanctuary — Rev. Thomas Kocik told an old story about the building that would take a new significance later that night.

Said Fr. Kocik:

I don’t ordinarily make announcements at the end of Mass, but when you hear what I’m about to say, it will be obvious why I make this exception.

On Sunday, April 7, Thomas Aquinas College will host an Open House at its New England campus. The event is open to prospective students, parents, teachers, youth ministers, pastors, and anyone else who would like to learn more about the College’s unique program of Catholic liberal education.

To mark the midpoint of the semester, on Tuesday evening students gathered for “Open-Mic Night,” a semi-annual showcase of musical talents:

Over Presidents’ Day Weekend, Head Chaplain Rev. Paul Raftery, O.P., led a group of 10 Thomas Aquinas College freshmen on a backpacking trip to Topatopa Peak in the Los Padres National Forest, adjacent to the California campus:

The group encountered high winds, cold temperatures, and — thanks to the high altitude and some much-needed precipitation — snow! Photos from the expedition are available in the above slideshow.

Thomas Aquinas College has always enjoyed a close relationship with Mother of Divine Grace School, an online classical learning academy whose founder and president, Laura Berquist (’75), is an alumna. Each year several of the school’s graduates come to the College as freshmen, and 2019 promises to be no exception, with students from across the country applying to both the California and New England campuses.

The rules of Thomas Aquinas College’s Cookie Bake-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, students, and staff evaluate the cookies on the basis of several criteria, including taste and presentation. Below are photos from both the preparation and judging at this year’s competition:

Last 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.

Saturday’s visit to Pasadena’s Norton Simon Museum was arranged, sponsored, and directed by Mrs. Grant, who is a Museum Educator at the Norton Simon and previously served as an Overseer at the Huntington Library in San Marino. In past years Mrs. Grant has also led groups of students on tours of the Getty Center and the Getty Villa.

On Friday the students of Thomas Aquinas College hosted an early St. Valentine’s Day Dance in St. Cecilia Hall. The theme: “Arabian Nights.”