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Showing posts with label Thomas Aquinas College. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Thomas Aquinas College. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 01, 2015
Yesterday was a big day!
Monday, October 21, 2013
Remembering Dr. McArthur
When I was a freshman at Thomas Aquinas College, I had a very lowly work study job, or at least it felt like it. I came with pretty strong secretarial skills, so they put me in the "Development Office", which at that time (back when there was only one permanent building on campus) consisted of a small, four-room temporary building which housed the offices of the president and vice president of the college, and two work rooms, all in one row. There was one entrance, through one of the workrooms, and you had to walk through those rooms to get to the office on either end.
(Here is a picture of the TAC campus from up on the hill, with the same basic layout as when I arrived - labeled with the accrediting agency for some reason. It sure looks different today!)
The reason it felt so lowly was that, because of the cramped space, the student workers were only able to put in their work-study hours outside of business hours. So we did our work at night and on weekends, communicating with the office staff almost entirely through memos. And on top of those complications, as I was one of two primary student typists (the other, by the way, was Margot Davidson of Hillside Education) who couldn't work at the same time as each other, I often worked alone in the building.
So, anyway, I was rather surprised one cold evening, as I sat cross-legged on the workroom floor all by myself with an enormous pile of papers that I was alphabetizing on my lap, to have the school president, Dr. Ronald McArthur, walk in and greet me on his way to his office. It's hard to express how funny this encounter was - this immensely tall (I've heard he was six foot seven, and I believe it!) imposing, yet grandfatherly figure greeting this lowly office worker who was pretty much glued to the floor because of the pile of papers. We exchanged a friendly greeting and I casually mentioned that I thought we had had a little bit of snow in the air (very unusual at that elevation, though we sometimes had snow on the peaks of the mountains adjacent to the school, it may have happened only one other time in my four years at TAC). In his friendly, but gruff (and slightly distracted) manner, he said, "No, no, I don't think we had any snow here." (I can hear these words in his voice as I type this). He went into his office briefly and left. No big deal. I wasn't the least bothered by his skepticism. But about an hour later, he poked his head back in the office (and probably walked all the way up from the Hacienda to do so) - just to tell me that I was right about the snow! It's such a minor thing and a little story, but it touched me deeply and it's one of my clearest memories of him.
There are many other great (though fuzzier) memories of him. He used to give these little mini-speeches to the students on minor occasions or to address particular needs and they were wonderful. I think it was especially at formal dinners that he gave these talks. I'm not a strong auditory person by nature, so I don't generally enjoy listening to people talk, but these were marvelous; little expositions about education and the Faith that were beautiful, motivating, inspiring and to the point.
One of my favorites was after a little spat had erupted among some of the students because of a few students espousing some silly ideas about girls not belonging on campus, dances being merely mating rituals or whatever. I can't remember his exact words, but they were along the lines of the importance and beauty of friendship and intellectual engagement between the sexes and ended with a slam (or maybe slam-dunk!) that anyone who thought otherwise must think that the only point of interaction between men and women is sex. Wow.
Dr. McArthur was a great teacher and a great man. That didn't necessarily mean that I agreed with him on absolutely everything, but his convictions about the value of a classical great-books education (which included a deep faith, true humility and a broad mind) and how they played out in my educational experience at TAC have had a deep impact on my life, especially in how I choose to encounter others in my life on a day-to-day basis. I had him as a professor for Senior Theology and also joined an informal study group he put together to read Pope John Paul II's recently-published encyclical On the Dignity and Vocation of Women.
He had a wonderful sense of humor and I loved how he engaged the students in class. My favorite humorous jab that I remember from his class was, "Don't let any ideas disrupt the free flow of your conversation." ;)
Here's a nice piece I found on YouTube that might give you a sense of what I'm talking about (this video is from April 2012):
But there also were some fun points of commonality. Dr. McArthur also hailed from the Bay Area (his mother-in-law was actually from my hometown of Los Altos) and was a die-hard San Francisco Giants and San Francisco 49ers fan. All the 49er fans on campus very much enjoyed the hospitality of Dr. and Mrs. McArthur at their lovely home on campus for back-to-back Superbowls in 1989 and 1990.
Dr. McArthur died last Thursday, October 17, 2013, at the age of 89. Rest in peace Dr. McArthur!
Here are some other tributes to Dr. McArthur:
Larger than Life by Tony M.
In Memoriam: Dr. Ronald P. McArthur (Thomas Aquinas College Website)
Thomas Aquinas College Founder Remembered for Humility (Catholic News Agency)
(will be adding to this piece)
The reason it felt so lowly was that, because of the cramped space, the student workers were only able to put in their work-study hours outside of business hours. So we did our work at night and on weekends, communicating with the office staff almost entirely through memos. And on top of those complications, as I was one of two primary student typists (the other, by the way, was Margot Davidson of Hillside Education) who couldn't work at the same time as each other, I often worked alone in the building.
So, anyway, I was rather surprised one cold evening, as I sat cross-legged on the workroom floor all by myself with an enormous pile of papers that I was alphabetizing on my lap, to have the school president, Dr. Ronald McArthur, walk in and greet me on his way to his office. It's hard to express how funny this encounter was - this immensely tall (I've heard he was six foot seven, and I believe it!) imposing, yet grandfatherly figure greeting this lowly office worker who was pretty much glued to the floor because of the pile of papers. We exchanged a friendly greeting and I casually mentioned that I thought we had had a little bit of snow in the air (very unusual at that elevation, though we sometimes had snow on the peaks of the mountains adjacent to the school, it may have happened only one other time in my four years at TAC). In his friendly, but gruff (and slightly distracted) manner, he said, "No, no, I don't think we had any snow here." (I can hear these words in his voice as I type this). He went into his office briefly and left. No big deal. I wasn't the least bothered by his skepticism. But about an hour later, he poked his head back in the office (and probably walked all the way up from the Hacienda to do so) - just to tell me that I was right about the snow! It's such a minor thing and a little story, but it touched me deeply and it's one of my clearest memories of him.
There are many other great (though fuzzier) memories of him. He used to give these little mini-speeches to the students on minor occasions or to address particular needs and they were wonderful. I think it was especially at formal dinners that he gave these talks. I'm not a strong auditory person by nature, so I don't generally enjoy listening to people talk, but these were marvelous; little expositions about education and the Faith that were beautiful, motivating, inspiring and to the point.
One of my favorites was after a little spat had erupted among some of the students because of a few students espousing some silly ideas about girls not belonging on campus, dances being merely mating rituals or whatever. I can't remember his exact words, but they were along the lines of the importance and beauty of friendship and intellectual engagement between the sexes and ended with a slam (or maybe slam-dunk!) that anyone who thought otherwise must think that the only point of interaction between men and women is sex. Wow.
Dr. McArthur was a great teacher and a great man. That didn't necessarily mean that I agreed with him on absolutely everything, but his convictions about the value of a classical great-books education (which included a deep faith, true humility and a broad mind) and how they played out in my educational experience at TAC have had a deep impact on my life, especially in how I choose to encounter others in my life on a day-to-day basis. I had him as a professor for Senior Theology and also joined an informal study group he put together to read Pope John Paul II's recently-published encyclical On the Dignity and Vocation of Women.
He had a wonderful sense of humor and I loved how he engaged the students in class. My favorite humorous jab that I remember from his class was, "Don't let any ideas disrupt the free flow of your conversation." ;)
Here's a nice piece I found on YouTube that might give you a sense of what I'm talking about (this video is from April 2012):
But there also were some fun points of commonality. Dr. McArthur also hailed from the Bay Area (his mother-in-law was actually from my hometown of Los Altos) and was a die-hard San Francisco Giants and San Francisco 49ers fan. All the 49er fans on campus very much enjoyed the hospitality of Dr. and Mrs. McArthur at their lovely home on campus for back-to-back Superbowls in 1989 and 1990.
Dr. McArthur died last Thursday, October 17, 2013, at the age of 89. Rest in peace Dr. McArthur!
Here are some other tributes to Dr. McArthur:
Larger than Life by Tony M.
In Memoriam: Dr. Ronald P. McArthur (Thomas Aquinas College Website)
Thomas Aquinas College Founder Remembered for Humility (Catholic News Agency)
(will be adding to this piece)
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Open to Correction Redux
I just had to share this amazing quote from my friend Robert Gotcher's blog, Classic Catholic:
It reminds me a bit of an old blog post I wrote back in 2008, "Open to Criticism", though that one was particularly focused on the subject of criticism from the angle of book reviews.
I strongly believe in the concept of changing the world by changing one's own self. Our culture today, and our human nature in general I suppose, tends to focus on what the other guy is doing wrong. Any critique of myself or my favorite politician (or whatever) is viewed as an attack. I believe that we will never get anywhere good in politics until we hold ourselves and "our side" (whichever side that may be) accountable for our faults and stop making excuses.
I think this is related to part of what makes traditional liberal arts education (such as what my husband and I encountered at Thomas Aquinas College) so valuable - especially in an age where education is so often considered to be equated with a list of information stored in one's head.
In our round-table, seminar-style classes, we learned to take some else's ideas, make sure we understood them, formulate our own opinions about the material, articulate those opinions to others and thus lay them open to challenge and critique. We had to sort out the criticism as objectively as possible in a context that helped us not just respond emotionally to the fact that someone disagreed with us, but work our way through the questions and problems in a reasonably logical manner. The whole program helped us to develop skills that I find myself using on a daily basis in the real world - to fully understand what others are saying and respond in an appropriate, not a reactionary manner.
Here are a few other quotes that seem relevant to this concept:
"Back in the 1940s and '50s and '60s, men believed that the best friends that you could have were the ones who would openly criticize your work and lay bare to you the mistakes and errors that you made, so that you might learn from them and correct them. In today's world, if someone criticizes your work openly, it has become fashionable to hate them for it. That is extremely foolish. You cannot learn from someone who always agrees with you; you can only learn in the fire of disputation and dialectic." --Douglas Gresham in an interview in Columbia Magazine.
It reminds me a bit of an old blog post I wrote back in 2008, "Open to Criticism", though that one was particularly focused on the subject of criticism from the angle of book reviews.
I strongly believe in the concept of changing the world by changing one's own self. Our culture today, and our human nature in general I suppose, tends to focus on what the other guy is doing wrong. Any critique of myself or my favorite politician (or whatever) is viewed as an attack. I believe that we will never get anywhere good in politics until we hold ourselves and "our side" (whichever side that may be) accountable for our faults and stop making excuses.
I think this is related to part of what makes traditional liberal arts education (such as what my husband and I encountered at Thomas Aquinas College) so valuable - especially in an age where education is so often considered to be equated with a list of information stored in one's head.
In our round-table, seminar-style classes, we learned to take some else's ideas, make sure we understood them, formulate our own opinions about the material, articulate those opinions to others and thus lay them open to challenge and critique. We had to sort out the criticism as objectively as possible in a context that helped us not just respond emotionally to the fact that someone disagreed with us, but work our way through the questions and problems in a reasonably logical manner. The whole program helped us to develop skills that I find myself using on a daily basis in the real world - to fully understand what others are saying and respond in an appropriate, not a reactionary manner.
Here are a few other quotes that seem relevant to this concept:
Most people tend to allow the truth they possess so to dominate their thinking that they see few other truths that place their one truth in perspective and balance it out. There is probably no heresy in the history of the Church that did not have its truth. The problem invariably is that the one truth so took over the heretic's mind that he was committed to cast out any number of other doctrines that clashed with his interpretation of it. (pg. 34, Authenticity by Fr. Thomas Dubay)
"It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it." Aristotle
This last one, again is from Dubay's Authenticity, in which he discusses the word "docility":
The word means, of course, a capacity to learn, to be taught by another. Yet in recent years the idea came upon hard days, for it spoke to many of a passivity, a weakness, a refusal to think for oneself. But then on the scene came a new label: openness, listening. Now openness and listening to others mean nothing if they do not mean exactly what docility means: willingness to be informed, instructed, changed by what another says.
A man in trouble laments that he did not listen to his teachers, and thus he finds himself in a sad state, utter ruin. A candid admission of a blunder is refreshing and not often heard in human affairs. It is the saint alone who is large-minded enough to think and speak in this way. This is part of his authenticity.
The person who is swift to hear and slow to respond is a stranger to an all-knowing illuminism. He believes that others, too, have some truth, and he is willing to be instructed by them. He is ready for the mind of God.
We are to welcome instruction, yes. But this is not enough. We are to welcome correction as well, being told that we are wrong. This is living the virtue of docility.I think the virtues of humility and gratitude are also closely related, which, of course reminds me of St. Francis:
As the word indicates, docility is the capacity to learn, a willingness to be taught. One is docile when he recognizes his own lack of information and expertise, on the one hand, and the superior knowledge and skills of his teacher, on the other. In this context a synonym more acceptable to modern ears is receptivity.
There are two types of receptivity: one toward the indwelling Spirit and the other toward human teachers. Like other moral virtues, docility lies in a mean between two extremes. One extreme is the more or less arrogant refusal to accept the thoughts of another. The other is an exaggerated credulity that has lost a sense of proper discrimination and healthy criticism.
...his first reaction was always gratitude. He accustomed himself, in everything that happened in his life, always first and foremost to praise and to give thanks, even before he knows what it is, in fact, that he has received, even before he accepts what he receives, looks at it, and gives it shape. (from Book of All Saints by Adrienne Von Speyr - chapter on St. Francis of Assisi)
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
A Homeschooling Meme!
Wow, I haven't been tagged for a meme in a very long time. So long that I almost forgot what a meme was! Thank you kindly to Kimberlee of Pondered in My Heart for the generous nudge to write. :)
One homeschooling book you have enjoyed.
Gotta pick at least two. I think my favorites still (partly because of the way they impacted me at the time I happened to read them) are For the Children's Sake by Susan Schaeffer Macaulay and Designing Your Own Classical Curriculum by Laura Berquist. I think I'm really ready for a re-read of that first book especially. I'm also looking forward to reading A Little Way of Homeschooling and The School of the Family, both of which are waiting for me on my shelf!
One resource you wouldn't be without.
Honestly, truly, I would have to say our parish. Not only daily Mass, wonderful sermons and twice-weekly school Masses (today three children in one family were baptized during the school Mass - what a beautiful thing!), but also free musical opportunities (through various choirs my kids sing in), school sports and other school activities like Chess club (which all parish children are invited to participate in) and, on the whole, what has become for us an extension of our family and an essential aspect of our children's education - a loving group of people who have chosen to embrace us as we are (including things like our odd propensity for enjoying ancient music and Marian hymns, which they allow us to sing at Mass as a family on occasion) rather than consider us a threat to their way of doing things. I am so very grateful every day for this great blessing!
And... if you want a more bookish answer, I would say the old Catholic National Readers (basically Catholic versions of the McGuffey readers). They're written for a different era and a different educational system, which is always refreshingly compatible with what we do around here. We don't use them all the time, but when we do (which is generally for at least a few months of each year) I'm always reminded of a one room school house and an era that in some ways was simpler. The simplicity is evident in these books in the way reading, spelling, grammar, dictation and reading comprehension are combined and the students alternate between independent work and some simple feedback from the teacher.
One resource you wish you never bought.
It's really hard to pick on one book, but I have learned over time that I really can't stand scripted curriculum (though I understand that they are wonderful for those who like them) and that I am allergic to teacher's manuals. (Achoo!) I like to be able to sit down with something (like the Catholic National Readers mentioned above) and just start using them without having to read over 5 pages of material just to get started. That's one thing I've always liked about the MCP Math too.
One resource you enjoyed last year.
Our road trip! Traveling makes for wonderful educational opportunities I think partly because we parents are pulled away from the computer and the telephone and a lot of other worries. Our month-long road trip to California last year was fantastic.
One resource you will be using next year.
Next year is toosoon, ahem, far away, maybe we'll talk about this year. Perhaps our favorite new educational resource this year is the fabulous Catholic liberal arts college that Ria is attending. She is completely smitten with TAC, and we really can't blame her. Just last weekend, for example, the "Theologian of the Papal Household" visited TAC, gave a lecture, said Mass and visited with students, etc. You can read more about Rev. Wojciech Giertych here.
One resource you would like to buy.
The new Catholicism DVD series from Fr. Robert Barron sounds fascinating, although we still have so many unwatched DVD resources around here at the moment that it would hardly seem reasonable. One DVD series we have very much enjoyed so far and need to get back to is Dr. Carol Reynold's Discovering Music Series.
One resource you wish existed.
Inexpensive add-on space to our house for more elbow room (and messy project space) especially in the winter. Oh yes, that and a self-cleaning floor (really a self-cleaning anything!). One other thing I have learned about our family over time is that we don't need any of those learning-to-be-creative-as-a-family-type-books. We exude creativity, or at least that's the positive spin I put on the trail of artwork and projects that is generally to be found all over every available surface and overflowing onto the floors.
One homeschool catalog you enjoy reading.
Honestly, I've reached the stage where I really don't enjoy reading homeschool catalogs anymore, though the one I used to enjoy reading the most was Michael Olaf's Montessori catalog, which were part catalog and part book. UPDATE: Upon further consideration, I realized that I do look forward to reading the catalogs from CHC and Ignatius Press when they arrive in the mail.
If you're reading this and haven't yet done the meme, please consider yourself tagged and let me know in the comments box! Thanks Kimberlee!
One homeschooling book you have enjoyed.
Gotta pick at least two. I think my favorites still (partly because of the way they impacted me at the time I happened to read them) are For the Children's Sake by Susan Schaeffer Macaulay and Designing Your Own Classical Curriculum by Laura Berquist. I think I'm really ready for a re-read of that first book especially. I'm also looking forward to reading A Little Way of Homeschooling and The School of the Family, both of which are waiting for me on my shelf!
One resource you wouldn't be without.
Honestly, truly, I would have to say our parish. Not only daily Mass, wonderful sermons and twice-weekly school Masses (today three children in one family were baptized during the school Mass - what a beautiful thing!), but also free musical opportunities (through various choirs my kids sing in), school sports and other school activities like Chess club (which all parish children are invited to participate in) and, on the whole, what has become for us an extension of our family and an essential aspect of our children's education - a loving group of people who have chosen to embrace us as we are (including things like our odd propensity for enjoying ancient music and Marian hymns, which they allow us to sing at Mass as a family on occasion) rather than consider us a threat to their way of doing things. I am so very grateful every day for this great blessing!
And... if you want a more bookish answer, I would say the old Catholic National Readers (basically Catholic versions of the McGuffey readers). They're written for a different era and a different educational system, which is always refreshingly compatible with what we do around here. We don't use them all the time, but when we do (which is generally for at least a few months of each year) I'm always reminded of a one room school house and an era that in some ways was simpler. The simplicity is evident in these books in the way reading, spelling, grammar, dictation and reading comprehension are combined and the students alternate between independent work and some simple feedback from the teacher.
One resource you wish you never bought.
It's really hard to pick on one book, but I have learned over time that I really can't stand scripted curriculum (though I understand that they are wonderful for those who like them) and that I am allergic to teacher's manuals. (Achoo!) I like to be able to sit down with something (like the Catholic National Readers mentioned above) and just start using them without having to read over 5 pages of material just to get started. That's one thing I've always liked about the MCP Math too.
One resource you enjoyed last year.
Our road trip! Traveling makes for wonderful educational opportunities I think partly because we parents are pulled away from the computer and the telephone and a lot of other worries. Our month-long road trip to California last year was fantastic.
One resource you will be using next year.
Next year is too
One resource you would like to buy.
The new Catholicism DVD series from Fr. Robert Barron sounds fascinating, although we still have so many unwatched DVD resources around here at the moment that it would hardly seem reasonable. One DVD series we have very much enjoyed so far and need to get back to is Dr. Carol Reynold's Discovering Music Series.
One resource you wish existed.
Inexpensive add-on space to our house for more elbow room (and messy project space) especially in the winter. Oh yes, that and a self-cleaning floor (really a self-cleaning anything!). One other thing I have learned about our family over time is that we don't need any of those learning-to-be-creative-as-a-family-type-books. We exude creativity, or at least that's the positive spin I put on the trail of artwork and projects that is generally to be found all over every available surface and overflowing onto the floors.
One homeschool catalog you enjoy reading.
Honestly, I've reached the stage where I really don't enjoy reading homeschool catalogs anymore, though the one I used to enjoy reading the most was Michael Olaf's Montessori catalog, which were part catalog and part book. UPDATE: Upon further consideration, I realized that I do look forward to reading the catalogs from CHC and Ignatius Press when they arrive in the mail.
If you're reading this and haven't yet done the meme, please consider yourself tagged and let me know in the comments box! Thanks Kimberlee!
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
A Few Photos from Ria
Fountain at TAC:
Amazing View from the Dorm Courtyard:
Ria sent us a few photos now that she has a camera. Isn't this lovely?
Amazing View from the Dorm Courtyard:
Another beautiful shot from Thomas Aquinas College
Friday, May 27, 2011
7 Quick Takes, 5/27/11
1.
Wow - it's been a busy week around here (!), beginning with Ria's 18th birthday last weekend! I was recovering from Strep, so I couldn't do much of anything. Ria and friends and siblings did most of the planning and I did some quickly grocery shopping (we had hot dogs, ice cream, watermelon and misc. potluck items). We also had a lovely may procession and crowning around the yard and under the beautifully blossoming trees before having the crowning in the house.2.
Monday morning we learned that good friends of ours in Joplin lost their home in the Tornado. Fortunately they are all well, though they had some worries at first as their older son was at the movies with friends when the Tornado hit. We are praying for all those who have died and for all those who are suffering in this terrible tragedy. Seems to hit a little closer to home as we just drove through Joplin at the end of our big road trip earlier this month.3.
Last night was our homeschool group's high school graduation. We had a whopping SIXTEEN graduates! I was in shock that they were old enough to graduate. SO many of them are ones we've known for years and shared classes and performances with over the years. Had a nephew in the crowd who is following his older brother to Christendom in the fall. Very exciting!4.
Yesterday morning we had big news in Milwaukee! The beloved rector of our local seminary, Fr. Don Hying, was named auxiliary bishop of Milwaukee. It seems like everyone is bouncing off the walls with joy. We have many friends who are close to him and our pastor was one of his teachers in the seminary. Happy day!5.
In bummer news, one of our family's favorite athletes, Buster Posey of the San Francisco Giants, had a season-ending injury in a dramatic home-plate collision on Wednesday night. Buster is the reigning Rookie of the Year and a significant part of the heart and soul of his team, playing a big role in their World Series win last fall. A little extra bummer because we have tickets for a Brewers-Giants game this weekend here in Milwaukee and were hoping to see him play.6.
Now that Ria has been accepted to the college of her choice (although there is a short waiting list) it seemed a reasonable time to start getting rid of school paperwork that she didn't need to save for sentimental reasons. So often, on a day to day basis, I don't feel like we've accomplished that much in the way of education. So I was a little surprised to see how much evidence there was of education going on around here. She picked out a smallish pile of things she'd like to keep (including many delightfully funny drawings and a page with two or three paragraphs on it labeled "A Novel".7.
I'm really behind on writing notes about movies I've watched and books I've read. Here are a few quick lists I hope to spend more time with in the near future:Movies I've seen lately:
127 Hours (I think my expectations were too high - didn't like it very much).
Finding Fatima: An interesting documentary which uses some footage from the movie The 13th Day (which I haven't seen).
The Shroud of Turin: 3 Movie Collector's Edition - Three interesting documentaries on one DVD. Silent Witness, produced in 1978, is one that made a big impression on me as a child. It's a little spooky for the younger set, but quite interesting (though sadly faded - doesn't look like they digitally remastered this one). The second film was produced by the BBC in 2008 and focuses on beginning to address the carbon dating process that seemed to prove the Shroud a Medieval fake. The third movie is the official movie for the exposition of the Shroud in Turin in 2010 and is quite lovely.
Books I've read lately:
How to Eat a Small Country - (Slightly rough around the edges, but loved it on the whole. The story of a Food Network chef who quits her job and moves with her family to France in order to try to save her marriage)
The World is Bigger Now - (a journal/memoir about two female American journalists who were captured by the North Koreans and held hostage for 5 months back in 2009). The book is a very personal account of the ordeal written by Euna Lee, one of the two journalists. It was a quite a good read, and very moving at times - especially in recounting her relationship with her husband and young daughter. An unexpected spiritual theme runs through the book, including the journalist's decision to admit her belief in Christianity, even though she knew it was a dangerous thing to say.
The King's Speech - A rather thorough double-biography of Lionel Logue and King George VI. Fascinating and a great follow-up to the movie. We listened to this on audio during our road trip.
Schooled - I've been curious about this title for quite a while and finally picked up a copy at a rummage sale. A light young-adult novel. A homeschooled and socially isolated teenage boy (homeschooled by his hippie grandmother, with lots of hippie values, minus the drugs and free love) is sent to a public school he definitely doesn't fit in, but has some interesting and humorous adventures anyway. An interesting theme to play with, and the author uses it largely to shed some light on social problems common in today's schools.
As I Am - by Patricia Neal - A harrowing but very spiritual autobiography of the famous movie actress who converted to Catholicism on her deathbed a few years ago.
Books I've Started Reading Recently:
Shadows on the Rock by Willa Cather
The Penderwicks at Point Mouet by Jeanne Birdsall
It's All Too Much by Peter Walsh
The Happiness Project by Gretchin Rubin
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Radio Rosary being offered for Dr. Dillon
Immaculate Heart Radio will be offering the rosary aired at 8 PM for Dr. Dillon. Alums may tune in or join via computer:http://www.ihradio.org/
This will continue from now (April 22) through May 2.
I'm assuming this is Pacific Time.
This info is from the official TAC alumni e-mail list. If there are any alums out there who need info about getting on the list, please e-mail me (love2learnmom at gmail dot com) and I'll send you the info.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
More on Dr. Dillon
Please note: I've moved my official tribute list to Dr. Dillon over to the Love2learn Blog and am updating the list regularly there.
TAC Alumni:
Memorial Page on Facebook
Blessed Among Men
Carmie's Conifer Cabin
Cozy Tea-Blue House
A Faithful Rebel
Life in a Nutshell
Small Treasures
Studeo
Future TACers:
A Maiden's Wreath
Tributes from others in Catholic Education:
Thomas More College tribute
Other Bloggers:
Holy Innocents Catholic Church, Long Beach
In the Light of the Law
WDTPRS (Lovely mini-tributes in the comments)
News Reports
(some are repetitive, but there are many worthwhile comments):
Catholic Community Forum
Catholic Culture
Catholic Exchange
Catholic News Agency
Inside Catholic
Irish Times (scroll down)
National Catholic Register
Spero News
Ventura County Star
TAC Alumni:
Memorial Page on Facebook
Blessed Among Men
Carmie's Conifer Cabin
Cozy Tea-Blue House
A Faithful Rebel
Life in a Nutshell
Small Treasures
Studeo
Future TACers:
A Maiden's Wreath
Tributes from others in Catholic Education:
Thomas More College tribute
Other Bloggers:
Holy Innocents Catholic Church, Long Beach
In the Light of the Law
WDTPRS (Lovely mini-tributes in the comments)
News Reports
(some are repetitive, but there are many worthwhile comments):
Catholic Community Forum
Catholic Culture
Catholic Exchange
Catholic News Agency
Inside Catholic
Irish Times (scroll down)
National Catholic Register
Spero News
Ventura County Star
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
A Day of Tears
We spent quite a bit of our day today tuned into EWTN to watch Archbishop Dolan become Archbishop of New York City. By tuning in a bit early, we also saw his wonderful little interview with Raymond Arroyo. He will be great for this job - he's so humble and so filled with confidence in the truth of the Gospel message.
It's a bittersweet moment too, because it *is* hard to say goodbye, though having these weeks to prepare for this moment have certainly helped - kind of like what he says in "Farewell, Milwaukee". Our prayers and thanks go with him for all that he's done for us. We don't know him personally, but he's made a huge difference even to our own family, just because of the way he manifests God's love and the joy of the Christian message to others. His influence on vocations in the diocese will make a difference for generations!
Though it's hard to say goodbye, it is a wonderful thing to see him take on his new role with so much faith and joy. God Bless him!
On a sadder note, my niece called me this afternoon with tragic news from my alma mater. Thomas Aquinas College's beloved president, Dr. Thomas Dillon, was killed in a car accident this morning. He was in Ireland with his wife for some sort of Catholic educational conference. She was injured, but not seriously. Please pray for him and his family and the entire TAC community. We are all devastated by this loss.
Dr. Dillon has had an amazing fatherly influence on TAC students for decades. Particularly in the years before he became president, he was well-known for his love of playing basketball with the students (somewhere around here I believe I have a photo taken by my husband of Dr. Dillon on the basketball court) and he was an incredible tutor. I only had him for one year - for Junior Philosophy, in which we studied Aristotle's Ethics. It was a crazy year as he was in the process of taking over the presidency of the college and another tutor had to substitute often, but the chaos was totally worth it. I had many fine tutors at TAC, but I never experienced another tutor who was so interested in each and every student and what they thought or wanted to say about a particular topic. He was down to earth and funny and I really loved that class!
When he was taking over the presidency from founding president Dr. McArthur, I had my doubts. McArthur had huge shoes to fill after all! It was a few years ago, when I saw Dr. Dillon and his wife at a fundraising event in Milwaukee that I truly understood the genius of the choice of Dillon as president. He was incredibly humble and completely dedicated to the idea of the college and to *the* truth. He was a man who spent his life building up the Church by preparing young people to live the truth and share it with others.
He had a genuine love for and interest in each of the alumni and what they were up to after TAC. I've always loved the fact that he and his wife made a special effort to attend all the ordinations of alumni priests (there are over 40 now).
My sincerest condolences and love and prayers go out to dear Mrs. Dillon, to the entire Dillon family and to all who are mourning his death.
It's a bittersweet moment too, because it *is* hard to say goodbye, though having these weeks to prepare for this moment have certainly helped - kind of like what he says in "Farewell, Milwaukee". Our prayers and thanks go with him for all that he's done for us. We don't know him personally, but he's made a huge difference even to our own family, just because of the way he manifests God's love and the joy of the Christian message to others. His influence on vocations in the diocese will make a difference for generations!
Though it's hard to say goodbye, it is a wonderful thing to see him take on his new role with so much faith and joy. God Bless him!
On a sadder note, my niece called me this afternoon with tragic news from my alma mater. Thomas Aquinas College's beloved president, Dr. Thomas Dillon, was killed in a car accident this morning. He was in Ireland with his wife for some sort of Catholic educational conference. She was injured, but not seriously. Please pray for him and his family and the entire TAC community. We are all devastated by this loss.
Dr. Dillon has had an amazing fatherly influence on TAC students for decades. Particularly in the years before he became president, he was well-known for his love of playing basketball with the students (somewhere around here I believe I have a photo taken by my husband of Dr. Dillon on the basketball court) and he was an incredible tutor. I only had him for one year - for Junior Philosophy, in which we studied Aristotle's Ethics. It was a crazy year as he was in the process of taking over the presidency of the college and another tutor had to substitute often, but the chaos was totally worth it. I had many fine tutors at TAC, but I never experienced another tutor who was so interested in each and every student and what they thought or wanted to say about a particular topic. He was down to earth and funny and I really loved that class!
When he was taking over the presidency from founding president Dr. McArthur, I had my doubts. McArthur had huge shoes to fill after all! It was a few years ago, when I saw Dr. Dillon and his wife at a fundraising event in Milwaukee that I truly understood the genius of the choice of Dillon as president. He was incredibly humble and completely dedicated to the idea of the college and to *the* truth. He was a man who spent his life building up the Church by preparing young people to live the truth and share it with others.
He had a genuine love for and interest in each of the alumni and what they were up to after TAC. I've always loved the fact that he and his wife made a special effort to attend all the ordinations of alumni priests (there are over 40 now).
My sincerest condolences and love and prayers go out to dear Mrs. Dillon, to the entire Dillon family and to all who are mourning his death.
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Dale Ahlquist on My Alma Mater
We're thoroughly enjoying the latest installment of Gilbert Magazine, which just arrived in the mail today. I particularly enjoyed this tidbit about Thomas Aquinas College , though it's perhaps not quite as funny as the cartoon about Sean Dailey and Harry Potter(Dale - I'm totally with you on this - I'd love to see Chesterton on the reading list!):
Not far away, in Santa Paula, is Thomas Aquinas College, which is probably the best college in the United States that doesn't teach Chesterton. They claim to teach the Great Books, which according to them do not include any books by G.K. Chesterton. I took the opportunity to chastise them for this omission, and vowed that before I die this deficiency in their curriculum will be corrected. Using the Socratic method, the goal at Thomas Aquinas College is to guide students to the truth, by exposing them to great ideas and getting them to think for themselves. After I gave a talk to a very enthusiastic audience, one student came up to me and said: "Of course they can't teach Chesterton here! It would be like cheating! He has all the answers!" Nestled in the mountains, the remote campus is peaceful and lovely, and a magnificent chapel is almost completed. The whole place begets deep thought and meditation. They are definitely doing their bit to preserve the culture by nurturing it in a perfect and protected setting.And speaking of Dale Ahlquist, I'm currently reading The Order of Things by Fr. Schall (Ignatius Press) for which Dale has the most perfect description on the back cover:
"Here is a book about everything, the subject which just happens to be the most neglected in our narrow-minded, short-sighted world. Fr. Schall takes on heaven and hell and everything in between. And his clear-thinking sparkles in his clear-writing. A painless and praiseworthy way to sweep out any confusion and muddled ideas that may be lurking in your head."It's a really wonderful book and I couldn't think of a better description for it.
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Thomas Aquinas College - Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity Chapel Photos
The Shrine of the Holy Whapping has posted some recent photos ...
click here
Amazing! When I first arrived at TAC, they had only one permanent building.
click here
Amazing! When I first arrived at TAC, they had only one permanent building.
Sunday, January 21, 2007
Pictures from our TAC Visit
The campus is SO beautiful - the buildings and grounds have come a LONG way since I was a student. (The food's better now too!) You can see more photos from this set here.
We especially enjoyed our visit to the rare books room in St. Bernardine Library. They have many amazing saint relics, a rosary that belonged to Padre Pio and many other beautiful books and artifacts. TAC's beloved librarian gave the girls quite a grand tour (I used to work for her once upon a time).
I'll be adding more pictures to the above link pretty soon.
We especially enjoyed our visit to the rare books room in St. Bernardine Library. They have many amazing saint relics, a rosary that belonged to Padre Pio and many other beautiful books and artifacts. TAC's beloved librarian gave the girls quite a grand tour (I used to work for her once upon a time).
I'll be adding more pictures to the above link pretty soon.
Monday, January 15, 2007
Hello, I'm Back
The girls and I returned home yesterday morning (after a rather grueling red-eye flight). We had a lovely visit to Thomas Aquinas College and chilly Southern California. Highlights of the trip for me included finishing The Everlasting Man on the flight out. It only took about 14 months. :) For me it was a good book to savor slowly. Perhaps I'll catch up on blogging the book one of these days.
It was really nice to return to my Alma Mater for a few days. I had a nice visit with my nephew and his girlfriend, met several children and siblings of online friends and enjoyed hopping in and out of numerous classes with "my" high school students. The girls' favorite class was a Senior Lab class taught by Kristen's brother, who invited them to join in the class experiments with static electricity.
I was surprised at how comforting it was to return to the beautiful mountains for a short time. I understand better now why Our Lord, St. Francis of Assisi, Pope John Paul II and many others would go to the mountains for rest and reflection.
On the way back to the airport, on a very cold night, we managed to dip our toes in the Pacific Ocean (the sand was even colder than the water) and practically run through the Icon exhibit at the Getty (we brushed off the sand first, LOL). We had 25 minutes before the Museum closed. One of the docents teased us that we were doing what they call the "tennis tour" - bouncing our heads back and forth as we quickly moved through. We had just enough time to look at each icon for a moment or two and read the name of the Saint or event portrayed and how old it was. It was beautiful and memorable regardless - be sure to visit if you have the opportunity!
By "coincidence" the Friday night lecture we attended at TAC added an extra dimension to the Icon exhibit. The lecture was on "The Dormition of Mary" (I hope I explain these details correctly) - a name given by the Eastern Church to the event of Mary's Assumption into heaven. Fr. Brian Daley of Notre Dame explained Church teaching and tradition on this event, including beliefs about whether Our Lady "fell asleep" and then was assumed or physically died first. He showed us an Eastern icon of the Dormition of Mary (here's an example - not the specific one he used)and explained some of the symbolism. This made it easy to pick out several representations of the Dormition of Mary within the exhibit. Neat connections!
It was a real pleasure to share these experiences with young people (including Margaret - the other two aren't doing any blogging yet) who are so enthusiastic about Faith, culture and life.
John was a real trooper with tonsillitis running through the house during my absence (fortunately Frank was mostly better before I left and Kate didn't start getting sick until I was back - the older kids are a little easier to manage). None of the kids have been spared this round, which is rather surprising because the oldest two often don't get sick when the others do.
It was really nice to return to my Alma Mater for a few days. I had a nice visit with my nephew and his girlfriend, met several children and siblings of online friends and enjoyed hopping in and out of numerous classes with "my" high school students. The girls' favorite class was a Senior Lab class taught by Kristen's brother, who invited them to join in the class experiments with static electricity.
I was surprised at how comforting it was to return to the beautiful mountains for a short time. I understand better now why Our Lord, St. Francis of Assisi, Pope John Paul II and many others would go to the mountains for rest and reflection.
On the way back to the airport, on a very cold night, we managed to dip our toes in the Pacific Ocean (the sand was even colder than the water) and practically run through the Icon exhibit at the Getty (we brushed off the sand first, LOL). We had 25 minutes before the Museum closed. One of the docents teased us that we were doing what they call the "tennis tour" - bouncing our heads back and forth as we quickly moved through. We had just enough time to look at each icon for a moment or two and read the name of the Saint or event portrayed and how old it was. It was beautiful and memorable regardless - be sure to visit if you have the opportunity!
By "coincidence" the Friday night lecture we attended at TAC added an extra dimension to the Icon exhibit. The lecture was on "The Dormition of Mary" (I hope I explain these details correctly) - a name given by the Eastern Church to the event of Mary's Assumption into heaven. Fr. Brian Daley of Notre Dame explained Church teaching and tradition on this event, including beliefs about whether Our Lady "fell asleep" and then was assumed or physically died first. He showed us an Eastern icon of the Dormition of Mary (here's an example - not the specific one he used)and explained some of the symbolism. This made it easy to pick out several representations of the Dormition of Mary within the exhibit. Neat connections!
It was a real pleasure to share these experiences with young people (including Margaret - the other two aren't doing any blogging yet) who are so enthusiastic about Faith, culture and life.
John was a real trooper with tonsillitis running through the house during my absence (fortunately Frank was mostly better before I left and Kate didn't start getting sick until I was back - the older kids are a little easier to manage). None of the kids have been spared this round, which is rather surprising because the oldest two often don't get sick when the others do.
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
Library Tree
Here's a real picture of the Library Tree. I brought all the kids in to see it earlier today and take pictures. The librarians got a pretty big kick out of our invasion.
Not much time for "real" blogging just now, though I've had some wonderful books to keep me company lately. I got stuck for several hours this afternoon with Mike Aquilina's Fathers of the Church (Our Sunday Visitor) at the brake shop. Poor me. :)
I'm also plugging through Josef Pieper's Abuse of Language, Abuse of Power. I love returning to Plato again after so many years (we studied a number of his dialogues Freshman year at TAC). This makes me think it would be worth tackling one or two with our co-op teens some day.
Not much time for "real" blogging just now, though I've had some wonderful books to keep me company lately. I got stuck for several hours this afternoon with Mike Aquilina's Fathers of the Church (Our Sunday Visitor) at the brake shop. Poor me. :)
I'm also plugging through Josef Pieper's Abuse of Language, Abuse of Power. I love returning to Plato again after so many years (we studied a number of his dialogues Freshman year at TAC). This makes me think it would be worth tackling one or two with our co-op teens some day.
Monday, November 13, 2006
More prayers needed for TAC chaplain Fr. Borden
Fellow alumna Mrs. Bear has an update indicating that he is quite sick and much in need of prayers. Along with problems from the serious stroke, he's contracted pneumonia. I've never met Fr. Borden (he arrived on campus a few years after I graduated), but I've heard wonderful things about him.
Thursday, November 09, 2006
Thankfulness Thursdays
Lisa at a Joyful Chaos is hosting a "Thankfulness Carnival" every Thursday during the month of November. I like it.
10 things I'm thankful for.
1. The Catholic Faith.
2. Being alive. I'm a 5th child born in the early 70s. Thanks Mom.
3. The man of my dreams, who, most fortunately, asked me to marry him about 15 years ago. It's so neat to have married someone similar in faith, education and interest in learning and knowing (not to mention willing to put up with me!). Life is never short on laughter, conversation, music and learning.
4. Family and family and more family. Six kids, six siblings, countless in-laws, 36 nieces and nephews, etc. etc. Never a dull moment.
5. Our homeschool co-op, which has really turned into a small faith and learning community for us. Latin classes, science experiments at the river, Shakespeare readings, apologetics discussions; friendship and camraderie - SO much to be grateful for.
6. Thomas Aquinas College - hardly a day goes by when I'm not grateful for what I received there. I was strongly reminded of that last night when John and I attended a local function for the college in Milwaukee. It was such a pleasure to see the president of the college, Dr. Dillon, and his wife again. They're such terrific people - so humble, so faithful, so dedicated.
7. All of the amazing people God has brought into my life.
8. The printing press.
9. The internet.
10. My dishwasher. :)
10 things I'm thankful for.
1. The Catholic Faith.
2. Being alive. I'm a 5th child born in the early 70s. Thanks Mom.
3. The man of my dreams, who, most fortunately, asked me to marry him about 15 years ago. It's so neat to have married someone similar in faith, education and interest in learning and knowing (not to mention willing to put up with me!). Life is never short on laughter, conversation, music and learning.
4. Family and family and more family. Six kids, six siblings, countless in-laws, 36 nieces and nephews, etc. etc. Never a dull moment.
5. Our homeschool co-op, which has really turned into a small faith and learning community for us. Latin classes, science experiments at the river, Shakespeare readings, apologetics discussions; friendship and camraderie - SO much to be grateful for.
6. Thomas Aquinas College - hardly a day goes by when I'm not grateful for what I received there. I was strongly reminded of that last night when John and I attended a local function for the college in Milwaukee. It was such a pleasure to see the president of the college, Dr. Dillon, and his wife again. They're such terrific people - so humble, so faithful, so dedicated.
7. All of the amazing people God has brought into my life.
8. The printing press.
9. The internet.
10. My dishwasher. :)
Wednesday, November 08, 2006
Please Pray for...
... Fr. Borden, one of the chaplains at Thomas Aquinas College who suffered a serious stroke yesterday.
...a family whose oldest son died unexpectedly earlier this week.
...a family whose oldest son died unexpectedly earlier this week.
Friday, October 13, 2006
Prayer Requests and Protestant "Literature"
There are a number of Catholic homeschool families who are in need of prayers - families who are suffering through illness or other even greater sufferings. I would be grateful if you could keep them collectively in your prayers.
I'd like to ask for a prayer too for our group of co-op teens. A number of them are taking a literature class (run by a Protestant lady, but one that they've taken in the past without any issues) that is ending up with some unexpectedly anti-Catholic reading materials on the list (red flags went up with the Catholics in the group when the teacher pulled out A Beka's Masterpieces from World Literature text).
We're having a discussion/pizza party tonight to help them with a really tough reading passage from a 14th century figure (John Huss - never heard of him before) who wrote on his particular interpretion of the biblical passage "Thou art Peter and on this Rock I will build my church." The writing is quite convoluted and Huss uses a great deal of tradition while professing to ignore tradition. The parents were initially leaning towards having the girls simply skip this assignment (which they would have every right to do), but they asked me to read through it for my opinion. Together we decided to work through it for the learning experience (and to stand up for their faith) and go ahead and have the girls answer the questions given in the book honestly and sincerely (but, perhaps, um, without expecting a very good grade):
1. Who is the rock and foundation of the church?
2. What was Peter's place in the church?
This project, by the way, followed from a quickly thrown together discussion we had yesterday afternoon (at the request of Gilbertgirl, who is in the class) on a Dante passage that included some commentary that caused concern. We had a fabulous discussion (we all decided that we had witnessed the beginning of some sort of club) and the conversation and flow of ideas was encouraging and filled with enthusiasm. This was one of the (many) days where I thought very gratefully of my TAC years (where I was a rather mediocre student, by the way) that provided me with some helpful intellectual tools that can be readily pulled out to defend the faith and help people turn on their "skeptometers". It also made me very grateful for the gifts of faith, homeschooling and community. God is so good!
I'd like to ask for a prayer too for our group of co-op teens. A number of them are taking a literature class (run by a Protestant lady, but one that they've taken in the past without any issues) that is ending up with some unexpectedly anti-Catholic reading materials on the list (red flags went up with the Catholics in the group when the teacher pulled out A Beka's Masterpieces from World Literature text).
We're having a discussion/pizza party tonight to help them with a really tough reading passage from a 14th century figure (John Huss - never heard of him before) who wrote on his particular interpretion of the biblical passage "Thou art Peter and on this Rock I will build my church." The writing is quite convoluted and Huss uses a great deal of tradition while professing to ignore tradition. The parents were initially leaning towards having the girls simply skip this assignment (which they would have every right to do), but they asked me to read through it for my opinion. Together we decided to work through it for the learning experience (and to stand up for their faith) and go ahead and have the girls answer the questions given in the book honestly and sincerely (but, perhaps, um, without expecting a very good grade):
1. Who is the rock and foundation of the church?
2. What was Peter's place in the church?
This project, by the way, followed from a quickly thrown together discussion we had yesterday afternoon (at the request of Gilbertgirl, who is in the class) on a Dante passage that included some commentary that caused concern. We had a fabulous discussion (we all decided that we had witnessed the beginning of some sort of club) and the conversation and flow of ideas was encouraging and filled with enthusiasm. This was one of the (many) days where I thought very gratefully of my TAC years (where I was a rather mediocre student, by the way) that provided me with some helpful intellectual tools that can be readily pulled out to defend the faith and help people turn on their "skeptometers". It also made me very grateful for the gifts of faith, homeschooling and community. God is so good!
Monday, October 02, 2006
"Thomism in a Catholic College" by Dr. Ronald McArthur
I found this lovely little essay by the founder of Thomas Aquinas College in Ignatius Press' sale rack in the book The Mind and Heart of the Church: Proceedings of the Wethersfield Institute, Volume 4.
Here's a sample:
The talk by Janet Smith on "The Lay Woman in the Church" was also excellent. (I've only read the two essays so far.)
Here's a sample:
To study St. Thomas, then, the way he should be studied demands that we see our way through the obstacles that prevent us from taking him seriously as our teacher, as the one who forms our minds. (I take it that we agree that he should form our minds - that we agree, that is, with the advice and commands of all the Popes since his death that we should study him as our master in the intellectual life.)
Our first task, should we be serious, would be to restore genuine liberal education in our Catholic schools, to help our students acquire those arts that are the ways to wisdom and without which the intellectual life is impossible. This means that our students learn to read and write, acquire the basic disciplines in mathematics, and, in sum, learn to think by acquiring the liberal arts. Such a restoration of liberal education is impossible using textbooks, almost all of them written to escape the difficulties involved in any serious thought. Lectures as the basic mode of teaching must go, for they presuppose, if they are to help the student, that he is already educated enough to intelligently consider what is told him. (Aristotle, if you recall, thought that the generally educated man was not one who was expert in any field but one who could listen to any lecture and judge if that lecture were reasonable or not, if it proceeded from principles proper to its subject, and if it proceeded with fitting arguments.)
The antidote to the lecture is a steady diet of discussion of significant texts, whereby the student attempts first to understand what he can and then to discuss his own understanding with his peers and his teacher. In this way the student can come to have some confidence in the use of his intellect.
The talk by Janet Smith on "The Lay Woman in the Church" was also excellent. (I've only read the two essays so far.)
"Day Fire" Fullly Contained
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