“I ask that you pray that Thomas Aquinas College remain strong and vigorous in carrying out its mission of Catholic liberal education. The task before us is a noble one, and it is worth dedicating ourselves to it with all the energy and determination we have. And no matter how challenging this task may sometimes be, we can take comfort in what Christ Himself tells us when He says, in St. John’s Gospel, ‘If you make my words your home, you will indeed be my disciples; you will learn the truth, and the truth will make you free.’”

When members of the Class of 2015 arrive at the President’s Dinner on May 13, awaiting them at each place setting will be a gift from the College — and one from an anonymous friend.

Each year, starting in the fall and continuing well into the spring, the seniors of Thomas Aquinas College labor to create what will be the culmination of their four years of academic efforts — the senior thesis. Based on a subject of each student’s own choosing, and drawing from the College’s classical curriculum, the thesis represents its author’s effort to apply his education to a matter of scholarly and personal importance.

Each spring, in the final weeks of the semester, members of the Senior Class team up against the faculty in the annual Senior-Tutor Softball Game. In this year’s contest, which took place on the afternoon of Wednesday, April 29, the tutors crushed their students, 10-2.

After the game, the College’s athletic fields became the site of another popular senior tradition — the thesis draft-burning party.

On one Sunday each spring, students, alumni, faculty, and staff of Thomas Aquinas College come together in Ojai’s Soule Park for “Soul Butter” — a concert that features “soulful” selections of a folk and bluegrass music. This year’s concert took place on April 19, and photos are available in the slideshow below, courtesy of Andrea Florez (’14):

In a longstanding tradition, the younger classes at Thomas Aquinas College take turns each spring bidding farewell to the soon-to-be-departing seniors. This past Sunday the sophomores had their opportunity, preparing and serving an elegant, outdoor brunch for the Class of 2015.

The morning included numerous toasts, both humorous and wistful, as the two classes looked ahead to Commencement and the end of the academic year.

An end-of-the-year, outdoor dance, Chez Martin has become one of Thomas Aquinas College’s most popular annual events. Put on by members of the Senior Class, it is a relaxed occasion for the seniors to say goodbye to the underclassmen. It also serves as a fundraiser, with proceeds going toward the seniors’ farewell gift to the College.

About two weeks ago, a number of signs appeared on campus:

CHALLENGED!
The following underclassmen challenge the upperclassmen to the Great American Game of Baseball on April 25 ...

Then, last week, new signs appeared, inviting spectators to the College’s “First Annual” upperclassmen v. underclassmen game — suggesting that organizers were confident about their creation’s long-term prospects.

Under the direction of Daniel Grimm (’76), the Thomas Aquinas College Choir held its spring concert, “Wine, Women & Song,” on Friday evening in St. Joseph Commons. The performance featured operatic choruses and scenes by Mozart, Strauss, Tchaikovsky, Offenbach, Monteverdi, Donizetti, Verdi, and Rossini. View highlights in the photographic slideshow below:

College Freezes Tuition Costs, Limits Student Loan Debt