Parents

Alumni, parents of current students, and their families from throughout Southern California converged on campus Saturday for Alumni Day, which this year was expanded to include parents as well. The first “Alumni and Parent Day” began with Mass in Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity Chapel, followed by brunch in St. Joseph Commons. In the afternoon, the College hosted three separate seminars, led by members of the teaching faculty, about The Death of Ivan Ilyich, by Leo Tolstoy.

One Friday evening each semester, groups of about 20 Thomas Aquinas College students from all classes — seniors and freshmen, sophomores and juniors — gather in classrooms across the campus for the All-College Seminar. Although separate, these groups engage in a single, common activity, namely, reading, analyzing, and discussing the same text, one that is not part of the College’s ordinary curriculum. Two members of the teaching faculty lead each of the discussions, which are followed by a party in St. Joseph’s Commons.

On Wednesday evening students gathered in the campus coffee shop for “The Assistant Dean on Tap,” in which the College’s assistant dean for student affairs, Dr. Christopher Decaen, answered students’ questions about campus living. “The idea was to give the students an easy and informal opportunity to talk about what they thought of the present morale on campus,” explains Dr. Decaen.

Nearly two years ago, Dr. Thomas R.

On Sunday the College’s Office of Career Advisement hosted a Career Discernment Workshop in the student coffee shop. Leading the discussion were two graduates of the College who — having worked for some of the country’s most prominent corporations — were able to share their wisdom about how best to apply the benefits of a Catholic liberal education in the marketplace.

Last Wednesday evening the women of St. Bernard Hall came together for a talk led by a tutor at the College, Dr. Katherine Gardner. The gathering marked the first in this year’s “Dorm Talk Series,” organized by the College’s resident assistant, Sarah Dufresne (’14).

The American Council of College Trustees and Alumni (ACTA) has released its annual report on the curricular strength of American colleges and universities and, once again, Thomas Aquinas College is at the very top of the list.

Each fall the sophomores, juniors, and seniors take turns staging welcome events for the new Freshman Class. This past weekend, the sophomores did their part, hosting an informal dance on the campus basketball courts. The dance had an Iliad theme, complete with skits, togas, and plenty of swing-dancing:

As the number of college guides continues to multiply, so, too, do the accolades for Thomas Aquinas College, which College Choice has named No. 25 on its list of the Best Colleges in California, 2016.