Instaurare | Summer 2018 by Christendom College

Instaurare The C hristendom College M agazine

S UM M er 2 0 1 8

Commencement 2018 U.S. SUPREME COURT JUSTICE CLARENCE THOMAS JOINS 40TH ANNIVERSARY YEAR COMMENCEMENT CEREMONIES

Alumnus Inspired to the Priesthood through Stained-Glass Window | Alumni Make Adoption Affordable Student Life Staff Helps Students Achieve Greatness | Alumni Triple Giving Rate on Giving Day

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VOLUME 26 | NUMBER 2 | SUMMER 2018 Published three times yearly by the Christendom College Marketing Office. Executive Editor: Tom McFadden Managing Editor & Design/Layout: Niall O’Donnell Photos: Zachary Smith, Niall O’Donnell, Sarah Ziegler, Tamlyn Sheng, Christiana Fedoryka, Craig Spiering Contributors: Zachary Smith, Danielle Lemieux, Niall O’Donnell Christendom College 134 Christendom Drive, Front Royal, VA 22630 540.636.2900 | christendom.edu Copyright © 2018. Permission to reprint in whole or in part is hereby granted, provided the following credit line is used: “Reprinted by permission from Instaurare, the official magazine of Christendom College (christendom.edu).” SUBSCRIPTION FREE UPON REQUEST.

Instaurare magazine (pronounced “in-sta-rar-ay”) receives its name from the Latin in the college’s motto, “Instaurare Omnia in Christo” or “To Restore All Things in Christ.”

Christendom College does not discriminate against any applicant or student on the basis of sex, race, color, age, national origin, religion, disability, genetic information, marital status, pregnancy or veteran status, or any other status protected by applicable law.

CHRISTENDOM COLLEGE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

ADVISORS TO THE BOARD

Guy Amisano Donna Fitzpatrick Bethell, Chair Douglas Dewey, Vice Chair John Cecconi, Treasurer Robert Crnkovich Martin Boles Eugene D’Agostino Richard R. Hough III Timothy O’Donnell, ex ofﬁcio Stephen O’Keefe ’93, Secretary Vincenzo La Ruffa Mark Swartzberg Thomas West Luanne Zurlo

Mary Ellen Bork Bernadette Casey-Smith Philip Crotty John DeMatteo Richard Esposito Robert P. George Daniel Gorman Joan Janaro Katherine McAvoy Rev. C. John McCloskey III John McNeice Joseph Melancon Rev. Robert Morey Robert Mylod Hon. James Nicholson Mary Beth Riordan Rev. George W. Rutler Mark Ryland Rev. William Saunders Hon. Rick Santorum Robert Scrivener ’81 Owen Smith Marjorie Teetor David Vicinanzo George Weigel Thomas Young Eugene Zurlo

Get the latest news from Christendom! SIGN UP FOR OUR CHRISTENDOM NOW EMAIL NEWSLETTER christendom.edu/now

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“Christendom is aware that parents are the primary educators of their children— no government ever had a baby. The Catholic educational institution strives to reinforce the best efforts of the Catholic parents and does not sabotage what the family is trying to promote. Parents can therefore send their children to Christendom College without worrying that they are going to learn new vices that they didn’t know before, but in justiﬁed hope that their children will grow in nature and grace, under the guidance of the powerful light of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Long live Christendom College, and God bless all those who promote it.” – FRANCIS CARDINAL ARINZE Cardinal Arinze joined Christendom College at its 40th Anniversary Celebration Gala. See more on page 8.

Inside This Issue 15

Commencement 2018 Associate Justice Clarence Thomas and Episcopal Vicar for Clergy of the Diocese of Arlington Fr. Paul Scalia joined the Class of 2018 for the collegeâ€™s 39th Commencement Exercises.

Believing in Families Alumna Margaret Luckey â€™97 is helping families adopt as the executive director of Siena Adoption Services.

Assisting in Virtue & Preparing for Success Student Life Office aims to prepare students to achieve greatness and become the people that this world needs.

From the President

Alumnus Inspired to the Priesthood

Sponsor a Student Program

40th Anniversary Celebration Gala

News in Brief

Alumni Triple Giving Rate on Alumni Giving Day

When We Came to Rome: A Semester Abroad

Photo Album

Crusader Rugby: A Worthy Sequel

In the Classroom

Classmates: Alumni News

Omnia in Christo: Friendship and the Art of Rhetoric

SUMMER 2018

The Gif of Freedom

EXCERPT FROM THE PRESIDENT’S CHARGE TO GRADUATES

Dear Graduates: Aristotle once

observed, “There is only one way to avoid criticism—do nothing, say nothing, and be nothing.” That is not an option for you. Many in our world today will tell you that the search for Truth is sad and useless in that it breeds intolerance. That sentiment is a road to nowhere and an assault on the dignity of the human person who is made for Truth! At Christendom, with our distinguished faculty mentors and talented staff, you have come to know and love the Truth. You are called to become Catholic lay leaders who know their faith and their history, can think critically and maturely, and can communicate that Truth in love and with joy, which is a fruit of the Holy Spirit.

“Be strong men and women of character, ﬁlled with the strength of faith, hope, and charity.”

I remember once hearing the story of Fannie Lou Hamer from Ruleville, Mississippi. Back in 1963, this simple Christian woman had worked tirelessly in an effort to help blacks in Mississippi to vote. While riding on a bus in Winona, Mississippi, she was taken off the bus, arrested, and then brutally beaten by two individuals on orders from those who had arrested her. For some time, no one in Ruleville knew what had happened to her. When she finally made it home, she had been beaten so badly that some did not recognize her. Upon her return, she related this story to an individual who was a member of the Department of Justice investigating that horrific crime. When she finished relating her story he remarked, “You must really hate these people who are doing these things to you and your people.” She responded with a calm passion, “No, I don’t hate them. I am a Christian. I will meet their hate with my love. When your house is on fire, you don’t solve the problem with more fire. You have to bring water to the fire. I have to do the same.” She most certainly was a great Christian woman. She was echoing here the very sentiments of St. Paul, that great “lion of God” who cried out: “What can separate us from the love of Christ?” The answer of course is nothing, unless we let it.

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Throughout this 40th anniversary year, I have been thinking about the faith, the vision, and the courage of Dr. Warren Carroll. This year has been very significant for us all in many ways. You have been challenged through your education to help restore the temporal order. That simply cannot be done without a strong moral foundation. You will realize as you go forward from here that your tests are not over yet. There will be continuing tests: of your faith and of your character. As St. John Paul II taught, “With each victorious test the moral order is strengthened and built up. From every failed test moral disorder grows.” You know very well from your studies in philosophy, theology, history, literature, political science, and classics that with God’s grace we can resist this disorder and serve the common good to help our brothers and sisters who are often adrift in a sea of confusion. Be strong—strong men and women of faith. Be faithful, more so today than in any other age! For this is the time given to you. Be strong in hope—strong with the strength of hope—a Divine hope that can bring joy to life. Above all else, be strong in love, which is stronger than death itself. Allow yourself to be filled with that Divine love which is patient and kind; it is not jealous or boastful, it is not arrogant or rude, it does not insist on its own way, and it does not rejoice at wrong but rejoices in the Truth. It is a love which bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things. For as the great apostle tells us: charity never ends. My challenge and my charge to you today is be strong men and women of character, filled with the strength of faith, hope, and charity; armed with a love which is mature and responsible and reaches out to engage and transform our world—healing your brothers and sisters. Do that and you will not only “dare to be great” but you will truly be great! We will be great in His love united in our hearts and prayers as we seek to restore all things in Christ. May God’s blessing of strength be on each and every one of you today.

A Call to Greatness |

A Call to Greatness THE CAMPAIGN FOR CHRISTENDOM COLLEGE

THE CAMPAIGN FOR CHRISTENDOM COLLEGE

The college is nearing completion of a $40 million comprehensive campaign.

$13.5 Million CHRIST THE KING PROJECT

$13.5 Million ENDOWMENT FUND

$13 Million ANNUAL FUND

campaign.christendom.edu

Campaign Progress $ 3 9 M ILLION o f $ 4 0 M I L L I O N rais e d 97.5%

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THE CAMPAIGN FOR CHRISTENDOM COLLEGE

“Son, Give Me Thy Heart”

A Call to Greatness |

Alumnus Inspired to the Priesthood through Stained-Glass Window A work of art often inspires wonder in

Above: Fr. Morey at Corpus Christi Procession. Below: His first Mass.

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those who admire it, and sometimes beauty can inspire something even greater. This is true for Fr. Noah Morey ’08, the parochial vicar of All Saints Catholic Church in Manassas, Virginia, who was deeply impacted by the stained-glass windows in Christendom’s chapel while he was a student. During his time at Christendom, Morey frequently spent time praying in Christ the King Chapel. He appreciated being able to make frequent daily visits any time throughout the day. “It became the norm to make a visit to the chapel,” he says. “Whether it was during a more formalized Holy Hour during adoration, or just stopping by on the way back from the gym or soccer field to pause for a few minutes to reflect on God’s presence, I frequently experienced God’s closeness to us at Christendom, especially in the sacramental life, and most especially in the Eucharist.” He remembers meditating particularly upon the stainedglass window directly above the high altar: an image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus with His hand raised in blessing, inscribed with the words “Son, Give Me Thy Heart,” a reference to Proverbs 23:26. Morey reflected on those words even before he knew they were a Scripture verse, usually attributing the phrase to God the Father speaking to Jesus. But after a conversation with his roommate, who is now a priest as well, Morey began to wonder if those words were personally addressed to him in the form of a call to the priesthood. Seeing that call presented to him in the window every day kept the question in the forefront of his mind. “I recognized how powerfully God was speaking to me

A Call to Greatness |

through the beauty of that window and through the verse that was contained therein,” he said. Morey went on to enter Mount St. Mary’s Seminary in 2009 and was ordained a priest of the Arlington Diocese in 2015. Today, Morey still has a love for beautiful sacred art. “There is a reason why the Church’s architecture is so beautiful,” he says. “God uses outward signs to convey His inward grace. Our Faith is incarnational, it is body and soul, human and divine, so having that all brought together in the beauty of a window is very powerful, and certainly that is true of other parts of Church architecture as well. Within the liturgy, that’s why we have bells and incense, stained-glass windows, and colorful vestments.” Fr. Morey notes that we are sensory creatures, so we are not meant to detach from the body. “We want to use the senses to draw closer to God and give glory to Him in that way.”

THE CAMPAIGN FOR CHRISTENDOM COLLEGE

You can remember your loved ones in perpetuity by dedicating one of the remaining exquisite features of the new Christ the King Chapel: new stained-glass windows, altars, and more, including restoration projects of current stained-glass windows and Stations of the Cross. To learn more about dedication opportunities, please contact Vice President for Advancement Paul Jalsevac at 540-551-9171, pjalsevac@christendom. edu, or visit campaign.christendom.edu.

ANONYMOUS $1 MILLION GIFT BOOSTS CAMPAIGN TO 97.5% An anonymous benefactor generously donated $1 million to the Campaign for Christendom, bringing the campaign within $1 million of its $40 million goal. The gift will go specifically to the restoration of the Sacred Heart window, located above the main altar in the current chapel, in addition to sponsoring a brand new stained-glass window of St. Margaret Mary Alacoque. Cherishing a deep devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the benefactor views the image as a powerful reminder that Christ redeemed the world with His Body and Blood, and that all people should bring their sufferings, sins, joys, and thanksgivings to Jesus. Motivated by Christ’s sacrifice and constant showering of blessings, the benefactor wishes to give back and show gratitude by helping others, especially young students. This generous gift to the new Christ the King Chapel will inspire devotion and holiness in the souls of countless Christendom students, having a great impact on future generations of Catholic leaders—perhaps even inspiring future vocations similar to Fr. Morey.

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THE CAMPAIGN FOR CHRISTENDOM COLLEGE

the freedom to explore & claim the Faith Sponsor a Student Program Inspires Passion for Learning and Truth For rising senior Johanna Burke,

A Call to Greatness |

her past three years at Christendom College have given her a new passion for learning. During her public high school education, Burke admits that she viewed learning as mostly a means to an end, whether that end was to achieve an A on a paper or simply a good job upon completion of her education. While her high school

STUDENT

SPONSOR

Johanna Burke

Dr. Phil Crotty

“Thank you so much, Dr. Crotty, for sponsoring my education at Christendom. Christendom has given me so many wonderful things. I know that when I graduate, I will go on pursuing wisdom by continuing my education, nurturing my spiritual life, and cultivating rich friendships, all of which I have been able to do at Christendom.”

Dr. Phil Crotty has been a friend and mentor to college president Dr. Timothy O’Donnell since his years studying in Rome. Crotty’s years of active support of Christendom started when the college opened its doors and, as a member of the 40th Anniversary Gala Host Committee, continues to this day. Crotty continues to support Christendom and its faithful students by contributing to the Sponsor a Student program, enabling students like Johanna to succeed.

• Class: 2019 • Major: Philosophy • Intended Career: Psychology & Counseling

offered challenging and quality education, she knew that something was missing: a passion for learning for a higher end. “My philosophy class Contemplation and Philosophical Life made me realize why I am so blessed to be at a place like Christendom,” shares Burke. “We covered the art of philosophy and how wisdom takes a lifetime of commitment, a real docility to the Truth, and good teachers. I learned just how easy it is to fall into error. I realized, in a very Socratic way, that the more you know, the more you realize you don’t know. This created in me a true desire to continue reading and pursuing Truth.” Burke’s experiences in public high school helped create in her a desire for pursuing Truth and wisdom in a Catholic environment. “At times public school could be a very toxic environment,” she says. “I knew it only became worse in college. I grew tired of that negative, destructive culture and the way that people interacted.”

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• Years Giving: 40 • Board of Directors: 1988-2002 • Current Advisor to Board of Directors

A Call to Greatness |

“

I learned just how easy it is to fall into error. I realized, in a very Socratic way, that the more you know, the more you realize you don’t know. This created in me a true desire to continue reading and pursuing Truth.

”

THE CAMPAIGN FOR CHRISTENDOM COLLEGE

Burke’s strong Catholic views were often in the minority at her high school, and although her beliefs were challenged at times, it only served to impel her toward a further knowledge and grasp of Truth. “At public high school, I understood what it meant to have my views challenged, and I knew my views had to be fortified by the Truth,” continues Burke. “I knew that it would be very beneficial for me to make like-minded friends in a community where I wasn’t the token Catholic, where I could actually learn and absorb my faith and see it lived out.” For Burke, attending Christendom College has allowed her the freedom to explore and claim her faith. She believes that the formation and education that she has received from Christendom, especially through her philosophy classes, has given her a much deeper understanding of human nature and has inspired her to help others. While Burke is also considering campus ministry, she aspires to pursue a master’s in psychology and become a certified counselor so she can live out the principles she has learned at Christendom. “After graduation, that’s when a lot of people put the books down,” reflects Burke. “But I’ve come to realize my love for all the things that I’ve learned at Christendom, and so after I graduate, I have no doubt that my attraction to these worthy pursuits will only continue to grow.” Johanna Burke ’19

SPONSOR A STUDENT Because of Christendom College’s complete rejection of federal funds, there is an average shortfall of $5,000 per student each year. Christendom relies on generous benefactors to help bridge this gap so that students like Johanna can thrive at Christendom. To learn more about Sponsor a Student, please visit www.christendom.edu/sponsor or call 540-551-9300.

SUMMER 2018

THE CAMPAIGN FOR CHRISTENDOM COLLEGE

A Call to Greatness |

Christendom College celebrated its 40th Anniversary with a gala dinner dance on April 14, hosting 500 guests at the historic Mayflower Hotel in Washington, D.C. Joining special guests Senator Rick Santorum, Francis Cardinal Arinze, His Imperial and Royal Highness Imre of Habsburg-Lorraine, Arlington Bishop Michael Burbidge, and radio personality Patrick Madrid, the guests enjoyed a spectacular night of dining and dancing, as they celebrated Christendom and its achievements in Catholic higher education over the past 40 years.

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Senator Santorum, who was chairman of the gala’s dinner committee along with his wife, Karen, welcomed guests with a brief address. “This institution is truly a bright and wonderful light, and the leadership there, under Tim O’Donnell for the past 25 years, and the faculty and the graduates—it is all a great contribution to our country. You stand against a world that hates you, which means that you are standing squarely with the carpenter from Nazareth. I can’t tell you how proud Karen and I are to be a part of this gala, how proud we are that our son goes there, how proud we are that this institution, despite everything, stands and teaches the core, the truth, and the Gospel in a way that is desperately needed in this country and this world. Thank you all for celebrating an institution after Our Lord’s own Heart.”

College President Dr. Timothy O’Donnell gave an inspiring address. “It took grace and courage, back in 1977, to gather a committed group of Catholic laymen and women together to found a new college, a new college that was going to give a new hope that was vanishing in our country at that time. This college, for 40 years, has been swimming vigorously against the tide, in service to Christ, in service to His Church, and also in service to our nation, which we love. It has been a history that has been filled with historic struggles, with challenges, and which, by the grace of God, has been characterized by fidelity and courageous witness, withstanding criticism and attacks. Let us go forward together this evening and let us finish the great task that God, in His love and His mercy, has entrusted to us all, and together let us seek to restore all things in Christ.”

A Call to Greatness | THE CAMPAIGN FOR CHRISTENDOM COLLEGE

Above (L-R): Alumni and friends celebrate at one of the tables. Radio show host Patrick Madrid emceed the event. Alumna and singer-songwriter Marie Miller ’05 performed for guests at the VIP Reception. Below: Sen. Santorum presented a special message from Vice President Mike Pence.

Mrs. Anne Carroll, the wife of late college founder Dr. Warren Carroll, followed O’Donnell with a surprise set of remarks, honoring O’Donnell and his wife, Cathy, for their 25 years of service to Christendom and to the vision of her late husband. “It is Tim’s vision and his leadership skills that have guided Christendom to this triumphant moment. Just think of what the campus and the opportunities offered to students were 25 years ago as opposed to today. What Tim has brought to Christendom, more than anything else, is his deep abiding love for Jesus and His Mother and his passion to restore all things in Christ and to focus everything on that goal, from the metaphysics class to the rugby team. Besides talking about Tim as the best possible successor, Warren also had some words he frequently said about Tim and his beautiful wife, Cathy: ‘my most favorite people on all the Earth.’ If Tim has been the heart of Christendom for 25 years, then he and Cathy are one heart that beats together.”

SUMMER 2018

A s s i s t i ng i n

Virtue &

P r e pa r i ng f o r

Success THE PURPOSE OF ANY COLLEGE STUDENT LIFE office is quite simple: serve the students. Itâ€™s in the very name, after all. That simple goal, however, is only achieved through hard work, countless hours, and a real spirit of dedication.

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Tim Judge and Amanda Graf

Thanks to its smaller size, Catholic orthodoxy, and love for students, Christendom has an easier job than most in achieving this goal, but it still is not without its challenges. And yet, with a staff aiming to restore all things in Christ and form the next generation of Catholic leaders, Christendom is able to strive boldly, and confidently, toward its mission: to serve students and prepare them for this life and the next. Christendom’s student life office, and the various departments contained within it, is chiefly responsible for fostering the college’s vibrantly Catholic culture. From the activities to the events to the spiritual life, it all falls under the umbrella of student life. With the extensive number of activities that take place each year and the amount of Masses, confessions, times for Adoration, and more that occur daily on campus, this is understandably a large task. Christendom’s staff, nevertheless, is up to the challenge. “The student life office is important because we provide students with the support and challenges they need at this critical time, both as students of the liberal arts and as

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young men and women growing as Christians,” says director of student affairs Amanda Graf. “The student life office strives to give students the opportunity to take what they are learning in the classroom and begin to exercise that knowledge and wisdom immediately in their lives on campus. They don’t have to wait until they graduate to begin to exercise Christian virtue and have an impact on the world around them.” The Catholicism that permeates the student life staff is crucial: it impacts every choice made, down to the smallest detail, transforming it within a Catholic lens. If the college’s vibrant Catholicism is the backbone of student life, then the campus policies that are born from it are some of the most vital organs that allow it to run smoothly. For example, the college has a professional and a modesty dress code for students. This code seeks to instill in students a

spirit of professionalism that will hopefully extend beyond their four years here into the work force and beyond. While students are dressing in sweatpants for classes at other universities, at Christendom they are learning a different mentality—one born out of maturity and reverence. That same mentality extends to the residence life policies. Co-ed dorms may be the norm at the big-name state schools, but that is not the case at Christendom. Every residence hall is single-sex, allowing students to flourish in a setting that is distinctly countercultural but in line with Catholic teachings. At other schools with co-ed residence halls, there can be a distinct danger to students that cannot be overstated. By having single-sex halls, Christendom is doing its best to make students safer and help them grow and mature further as a result. “The residential life is an essential component of the liberal arts education, and through it we aim to create an environment for students to grow in nature and grace,” says Dean of Students Tim Judge. “The defined boundaries that are in place dealing with curfew, quiet hours, and inter-visitation support each student’s development of healthy habits and an order of life—policies that are an extension of Christ’s command to love, respect, and serve one another. This can only happen in an environment

“

The residential life is an essential component of the liberal arts education, and through it we aim to create an environment for students to grow in nature and grace.

”

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C where safety is a top priority, with key card access, room keys, after-hours security, and supportive and approachable resident assistants there to assist students along the way. Policies will always be viewed by some as being too restrictive, but I have witnessed the ways our community is more unified and fortified because of them. These guidelines call our students to greatness and can set an expectation for one’s way of life after graduation.” Furthermore, the student life staff holds many events aimed at teaching students both safety and spiritual growth while they are on campus, showing a personal attention and dedication to these areas that are distinct. At other colleges, students might be given formation talks in a large auditorium setting—if they happen at all. At Christendom, students discuss and learn in smaller groups and one-on-one, making the discussions that much more impactful. As a result, the opportunities for spiritual and personal formation help strengthen each student’s moral character and encourage them to challenge their peers to a higher level of Christian behavior. Proactive formation is a key component to challenging and supporting men and women, which is why formation events happen so frequently during the academic year. A men’s formation program called “Into the Deep” and a women’s formation program called “At the Well” are hosted several times throughout the semester, where speakers are brought in to address issues ranging from self-image, to strong friendships, to anxiety and depression, and addiction to pornography. The student life staff, in addition to other college faculty and staff, attend these events

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and offer practical advice to the students, while also being able to listen to them, learn their problems, and offer solutions. These formation programs are just one example of the many ways the college encourages and challenges students to live out their faith. Spiritual direction, small accountability groups, peer-led talks in the residence halls, fireside chats with faculty, bringing in nationally renowned speakers, and other efforts ensure that students have ample opportunities to grow during their time in school. Before any person is hired as a member of Christendom’s student life staff, the question is asked: can they help our students become the best versions of themselves? The answer can be found in the college’s alumni, who live out the college’s formation and education. “It is such a blessing to walk with students through their four years here, from the time they arrive as freshmen till the time they graduate, and then to see the impact they have on their families and their communities and on the world,” concludes Graf. “I am so proud of so many of our alumni and count it as a huge blessing to have had a hand in their success and growth at such a critical time in their lives.” Without a doubt, Christendom is not like other colleges— and that’s a good thing. The policies in place may seem daunting to some prospective high school students, but they exist to help them grow into the persons that this country—and this world—needs now, more than ever. People who will not just stand by the sidelines but will actually go out and make history—both on campus as students and off campus as doctors, teachers, lawyers, entrepreneurs, fathers, mothers, husbands, and wives.

Commencement 2018

Seven seniors toss their hats. Representing each of Christendom’s seven majors, they are featured in the “Senior Spotlights.”

SUMMER 2018

SENIOR SPOTLIGHT

Luke Maschue

Major: Classical and Early Christian Studies

“This fall, I will be entering a doctoral program at the Catholic University of America. The truth is no less at stake in the academic world, especially since teachers and researchers face the various philosophies of the world firsthand, and they greatly influence the next generation. Christendom has prepared me to see this challenge in my research and to always seek and promote the True, the Good, and the Beautiful. As a Classical and Early Christian Studies major, I have learned the unchanging truths of the human person and the foundations of Western Civilization. My professors at Christendom have prepared me to teach burgeoning adults how to love the life of wisdom in Christ Jesus.”

There has been much to celebrate during Christendom’s 40th anniversary. From the Academic Convocation in September to the tremendous 40th Anniversary Gala in April, the 2017-18 academic year has been a time for reflection on Dr. Warren Carroll’s vision and rejoicing at its continued success. There can be no greater cause for joy, however, than in the students that graduate with a Christendom education, making the college’s 39th Commencement Weekend, May 11-13, truly the high point—and grand finale—of the year.

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SENIOR SPOTLIGHT

Jane Adams

Majors: History/Classical and Early Christian Studies

The largest class in college history, 110 students were awarded Bachelor of Arts degrees during the weekend. With them for the celebration were two very special guests: Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States Clarence Thomas, who received the college’s Pro Deo et Patria Award and delivered the commencement address, and Episcopal Vicar for Clergy of the Diocese of Arlington Fr. Paul Scalia, the son of late U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, who was awarded the St. Thomas More Medallion. The historic weekend began with the graduates and their families attending the Baccalaureate Mass, celebrated by Fr. Sca-

lia. In his homily, Fr. Scalia spoke on fear of the Lord, relating that fear to the spirit that should fill every graduate upon such an occasion. “Reverence, or fear of the Lord, gives us a delight in the limits established by almighty God,” said Fr. Scalia. “The dominant view of education in our culture is irreverence. Our society associates learning with breaking rules and blazing new trails. But only fear of the Lord makes one truly receptive and therefore able to learn . . . my prayer, dear graduates, is that you depart here full of fear. Turn to the Lord and His Sacred Heart and ask for an increase in this fear and likewise an increase in His freedom and His joy.”

“In September, I will be entering a Ph.D. program in Medieval Studies. During my time at Christendom, I wrote my thesis about Christian violence against the Jews during the Middle Ages. I hope to use my research to add new knowledge to this field as well as to understand and deepen the relationship between Christians and Jews, our elder brothers in the faith. This topic is crucial to dialogue between Christianity and Judaism, while also allowing Catholics to take an honest and serious look at our own history. I hope to continue my research in this important topic as well as to prepare myself to teach Medieval History at the university level. Through my future research and teaching, made possible by the excellent education I received at Christendom, I hope to influence a new generation of scholars and restore my own corner of the world in Christ.” SUMMER 2018

SENIOR SPOTLIGHT

Sydney Dominguez Major: Mathematics

“One of the biggest things I learned at Christendom was perseverance. The perseverance I learned in the classroom permeated the rest of my life, whether I was working under the pressure of the latest deadline as The Rambler editor-in-chief or the pressure from political activists who wanted Christendom to run our political club the way they wanted, rather than the way that served Christendom and Virginia best. I’m definitely going to stay involved in politics after graduation, and my experience here hasn’t just given me the moral grounding to make ethical policy decisions, Christendom has given me the confidence and perseverance to stand my ground against assaults on those positions.”

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Following the Mass, graduates and their families traveled to the nearby Shenandoah Valley Country Club, which overlooks the Blue Ridge Mountains, for dinner. The evening was colored with a festive atmosphere, as the parents of graduates mingled with the college’s staff and faculty who had a deep impact on the lives of their children over the course of their four years. The guests enjoyed a delicious meal and even better conversations later in the evening, along with poignant toasts from college president Dr. Timothy O’Donnell, vice president for academic affairs Dr. Greg Townsend, senior class president Alexandra Di Falco, and student body president Chloe Herrmann. Fr. Scalia was awarded the college’s St. Thomas More Medal for Defense of the Faith and Holy Mother Church during the dinner, and commented on why St. Thomas More is a worthy example for all Catholics to follow. “I think the life of St. Thomas More is a great lesson for us,” said Fr. Scalia. “We all

have the capacity and the duty to give witness to the truth and to the Church by our lives, by that integrity and that holiness of life that can speak volumes and can witness to the truth of the Gospel and the dignity and glory of Mother Church.” The emotional high point of the evening came soon after Fr. Scalia’s remarks, when O’Donnell made a surprise announcement and awarded founding faculty member Professor Raymund O’Herron an honorary doctorate in humane letters. O’Herron, who retired this May after teaching theology and philosophy to thousands of students over the past 40 years, was deeply touched, and he received a long standing ovation from those who were present. During his remarks, O’Herron stated: “Many have said, ‘What will Christendom College be like without Ray O’Herron?’ But I am wondering, ‘What will Ray O’Herron be like without Christendom College?’” On Saturday, as the students prepared for Commencement Exercises, they were

SENIOR SPOTLIGHT

Garrett Quigley Major: Theology

1. Thomas More Medallion Recipient Fr. Scalia gives remarks at the Graduation Dinner. 2. Senior Class President Alexandra Di Falco offers a toast to the faculty at the Senior Dinner. 3. Traditional bagpipe-led procession. 4. Associate Justice Thomas receives the Pro Deo et Patria Medal from Dr. O’Donnell. 5. Line of legacy: children of alumni. 6. Sylvia Messing and her family. 7. Dominic Mann—ready to take on the world. 8. Professor Raymund O’Herron is presented with an honorary doctorate. 9. Senior Gabriela Barajas with her family and philosophy Professor Dr. Mark Wunsch.

“After four years here, I have been prepared to engage with the world on the most fundamental levels, which overspecialized sciences simply can’t give to a college graduate. The formation of the whole person that is accomplished by Christendom is something that the world earnestly needs, and I am beyond fortunate to have been given this kind of education. I intend to become a high school teacher, to assist in forming younger minds with the truth that they deserve, rather than the falsities that are commonly given in education today. I could have neither developed the aspiration nor gained the tools for meeting the world right out of the gates without the education I received at Christendom College.”

SUMMER 2018

SENIOR SPOTLIGHT

Mary Storey

joined by Justice Thomas, who insisted on robing with the graduates and processing with them to Commencement. Together with the Supreme Court justice, the Class of 2018 made its way to Crusader Gymnasium, ready to complete their Christendom College education and step out into the world. Over 1,500 guests awaited the graduates in the gymnasium and sat in rapt attention as salutatorian Emma Wynne welcomed everyone to the commencement exercises, calling upon her class to “dare to be great” in their endeavors upon leaving Christendom.

Major: Philosophy

“Now that I am a graduate, I am excited to contribute positively in my community. I believe the world will only change when we change how we interact with one another. Rather than treating people in an impersonal way, I am committed to engaging more deeply with those I meet, whether on a personal or professional level. I am not satisfied with surface-level solutions; I want to address problems directly by identifying their root causes. My Christendom education has prepared me for this by cultivating a philosophical mindset, enabling me to ask fundamental questions and find answers that will make a difference.”

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“If there’s anything that I’ve learned from my past four years, both successes and mistakes, it’s to not let life pass me by because I’m too nervous to take a chance,” said Wynne. “So, as we prepare to walk across this stage into a new phase of life, I repeat to myself and to all of you: you are ready for this new adventure. Take the chance, be brave, and, when you fail, try again. Learn from your mistakes and dare to be great.” Following her address, President O’Donnell awarded the Pro Deo et Patria Award to Justice Thomas for his distinguished service to God and country as a

member of the Supreme Court for 25 years. During his commencement address, Justice Thomas congratulated the graduates on their milestone in Catholic formation and encouraged them to continue to grow in their Catholic faith as they go out into the world. “This is a decidedly Catholic college, and I am decidedly and unapologetically Catholic. It is this faith that has been the guiding beacon during some difficult and seemingly hopeless times. Even when I had turned my heart against Him and turned my back on [faith]. I have no doubt that this faith will do the same for each of you if you

SENIOR SPOTLIGHT

Bill Wiegand

Major: Political Science & Economics

Top (L-R): Valedictorian John Martz, Salutatorian Emma Wynne, Chloe Herrmann receives the Student Achievement Award. Lower: Associate Justice Thomas and Fr. Scalia with the Class of 2018: Francis Adams, Jane Adams, Haley Ambreit-Quepons, Elizabeth Anderson, Thomas Anderson, Mary Arnold, Emily Bailey, Gabriela Barajas, Anna Barren, Richard Blank, Catherine Britten, Anthony Brooks, Josephine Brooks, Bryn Burgess, Aidan Callegari, Thomas Carney, Joseph Cavanaugh, Olivia Cerroni, Athanasius Clark, Julia Clark, John Paul Cook, Danielle Corcoran, Paulina Cuddeback, Joseph Cummings, Margaret Daly, Rebecca Derks, Jacob DeVos, Maximilian Dewey, Alexandra Di Falco, Zachary Doll, Sydney Dominguez, Gabrielle Donlon, Mary Ellefson, Kylie Feiring, Alexander Forst, Mary Elizabeth Francis, Sophia Fusco, Isabella Gadapee, Catherine Gaetano, Bridget Gaffney, Cecilia Gallagher, Rachel Gerring, Margaret Golden, Sarah Goodman, Alain Gratton, Emma Hackett, Mary Hays, Bridget Hebert, Chloe Herrmann, Mary Hoeck, Jensen Hoernig, William Johnson, Matthew Kavanagh, Carissima Keatley, Jack Lake, Danielle Lemieux, Dominic Mann, Angela Marsh, Melissa Marter, John Martz, Luke Maschue, Paul Maschue, Michael Mazzara, Clare McDermott, Maria McFadden, Ioana Mello, Sylvia Messing, Jacob Morris, Gabriel Murphy, Theresa Norris, Kevin Norton, Kieran O’Donnell, Sarah Obritsch, Catherine Olbrych, Elizabeth Peterson, Michael Piorkowski, Madeleine Post, Garrett Quigley, Anna Rakoczy, Luke Romanchuk, Leah Ross, Nicholas Santschi, Robert Scanlon, Mary Schneider, Fiona Shanahan, William Skuba, Daniel Snyman, Molly Spiering, Veronica Stephens, Mary Storey, Mary Strickland, George Summers, Matthew Summers, Ashlyn Thomas, Bethany Thornton, Matthew Trojacek, Marygrace Tucker, Winfield Turner, Danica Urankar, Sean Vance, Monica Vicente, John Walsh, Alexander Watson, Logan Weir, Joseph Whittaker, William Wiegand, Katherine Williams, Eric Wilson, Morgan Witt, and Emma Wynne.

“Being at Christendom has helped to form me as a wellrounded individual and has instilled in me a sense of love for my fellow man. My Christendom education has enabled me to take excellent courses, especially political science, that speak to the importance of the political community of which we are all a part. I hope to use what I've learned to better my community as a law enforcement officer.”

SUMMER 2018

SENIOR SPOTLIGHT

Haley AmbreitQuepons

Major: English Language and Literature

“The beauty of falling is rising and learning where the weakness lies. In knowing that every person has the capability to be better and that is what the world needs; it needs to be believed in. At Christendom I had moments of true brilliance and others of pure idiocy. However, the response that was always shown to me at Christendom from every teacher, priest, and friend was one of care, patience, and faith in my capabilities. This response is the one we least expect but greatly need. This is how love should be communicated, and that is how I plan to communicate my faith to the world.”

let it, and perhaps even if you don’t. It is not a tether. Rather, it is a guide—the way, the truth, and the life,” said Justice Thomas. “I congratulate each of you on this milestone in your Catholic formation. May God continue to bless and guide each of you throughout your lives, and I pray that you know love and serve Him in this life, so that you can be happy with Him in the next.” After minutes of applause for Justice Thomas’ inspiring address, assistant director of donor and alumni relations Vince Criste presented the Student Achievement Award to Chloe Herrmann for her dedication to the community. Herrmann was an incredible example to the entire student body during her four years at Christendom, serving as the student body president and junior class president, and wowing audiences with her world-renowned Irish dance skills at St. Patrick’s Day and more. Following the delivering of degrees, valedictorian John Martz provided the farewell address for the Class of 2018. Martz focused on the value of the education and the culture

that all his classmates experienced during their college career, and he challenged them to not simply be content with being good but rather to strive for greatness. “We could be content to be good enough, true enough, loving enough, and it would be comfortable enough,” said Martz. “As Benedict XVI has reminded us, however, we were not made for this sort of comfort. While on this earth, we can always strive to learn more, to love more, and to live more. Thus, we must recognize that Christendom College, if it is any beginning at all, it must be just that: a beginning. Let us pray, as graduates, for the intellectual and spiritual humility so as to continue the work that we have only just begun today.” Closing the ceremony, President O’Donnell delivered his charge to the graduates (see page 2). With a flip of their tassels, the Class of 2018 transformed from students to alumni, closing out four years of hard work, sacrifice, love, and formation with a flick of the wrist— a simple ending to a true labor of love.

The 2018 Senior Philanthropy Board helped foster a spirit of gratitude and generosity within their class, the largest graduating class in college history. The board seeks to educate fellow classmates about how the college is funded and the important role that benefactors play in the current and future operations of the college. The 2018 Philanthropy Board achieved an 83% participation (giving) rate with 71% of those giving back to the college on a recurring monthly basis. Members of the 2018 Philanthropy Board: Thomas Carney, Thomas Anderson (Secretary), Dominic Mann (President), Kevin Norton, Jacob DeVos, John Martz, Mary Beth Francis (Treasurer), Mary Schneider (Vice President), Leah Ross, Danica Urankar, Bridget Gaffney, Josephine Brooks.

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NEWS

BRIEF

His Imperial and Royal Highness Imre of Habsburg-Lorraine delivered an exclusive talk to the Christendom community on April 12, titled: “100 Years Later: Quo Vadis Europa?” The talk, which was part of the college’s Major Speaker Series, can viewed or listened to at media.christendom.edu.

Alumni Fr. Christopher Dayton ’10 and Fr. Christopher Tipton ’12 (pictured left with Arlington Bishop Michael Burbidge) were ordained to the priesthood this June. Fr. Dayton was ordained in the Diocese of Trenton, New Jersey, and Fr. Tipton was ordained in the Diocese of Arlington, Virginia. Together, the two raise the total number of alumni priests to 85, expanding the college’s rich history of alumni who have joined the religious life after graduation.

The USCAA named two Christendom students to their all-American softball team, making Christendom one of only a handful of schools to have more than one student selected this year. Rising seniors Sophie Adams (right) and Mary-Grace Handy (left) were both chosen by the USCAA for the honor. The all-American award is given out only to players voted on by all of the USCAA’s coaches, making the accomplishment even more notable.

Film and television legend Chuck Norris recommended Christendom College—the only Catholic college on the list—as a top college of choice in a new article at World Net Daily. Norris, a New York Times best-selling author, warned students and parents about the progressive transformation of colleges in America, calling many of them “one-sided” in their educational offerings. “To counter so much progressive indoctrination in American culture, you can also have your graduates consider attending a private, conservative, or Christian college or university, such as Liberty University, Biola University, Hillsdale College, Christendom College, Westmont College, or Grove City College,” wrote Norris.

SUMMER 2018

BOLD B E GI N N I N G S Alumni Triple Giving Rate on Alumni Giving Day On average, alumni donations make up

25 percent of a university’s annual donations, according to the Council for Aid to Education. Twenty-five is a huge number, which points to the love that many alumni often have for their alma mater. It is safe to say that Christendom alumni deeply love their college, as seen in high survey satisfaction ratings and the number of alumni who send their own children to Christendom. While that love has always been felt, Christendom did not have a robust giving program that reflected the true depth of alumni support. This spring, the college’s alumni sought to change that through the first ever “alumni giving day.” The giving day had a lofty goal: generate 200 new monthly donors for an alumni-driven fund that would go toward sup porting financial aid, counseling and spiritual development, career services, athletics, and faculty and staff salaries. The giving

$379,150 RAI S E D

678 ALUMNI

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day was the brainchild of the alumni advisory council, a group made up of alumni from across the college’s 40-year history. Together with representatives from each of the college’s graduating classes, the council rallied alumni around the world over a 24-hour period, resulting in $379,150 raised from 678 alumni donors, nearly tripling the giving rate of Christendom alumni. “We developed the idea of an alumni giving day in honor of our founder, Dr. Warren Carroll, with a moderate goal,” says Karla Hester, chairwoman of Christendom’s alumni advisory council, “but the sheer enthusiasm of our alumni base blew our expectations away, resulting in donations that will help critical areas of our alma mater and continue the vision of our founder for years to come. We could not be prouder of our alumni and are excited for the future. Thank you to all of those who contributed and worked so hard to make this day a resounding success.”

68% MO N T H LY DO N ATI O N S

TO P C L A S S E S # OF DONATIONS 1. 2008 2. 2017 3. 2004 PARTICIPATION % 1. 1998 2. 1999 3. 2000

Alumni celebrated the day at gatherings across the nation: Manassas, Virginia (left) and Dallas, Texas (right).

“

The sheer enthusiasm of our alumni base blew our expectations away, resulting in donations that will help critical areas of our alma mater and continue the vision of our founder for years to come. Giving Day also set a new bar for alumni giving days because 68 percent of the gifts were pledged as monthly gifts, showing a deep level of commitment. Twelve generous donors helped make that possible by providing $122,650 in matching funds throughout the day to add a level of fun and urgency. The groundswell of alumni support more than doubled the college’s U.S. News & World Report giving rate from 15 percent to 39 percent. The U.S. News rate is used as a benchmark for

AMAZING GROWTH

all U.S. colleges and is a key factor in driving overall support. Christendom’s rate easily exceeded the 11.6 percent national average, put the college ahead of most of its peers, and brought it within striking distance of the 47 percent needed to reach the list of the top ten colleges and universities. Thanks to this new era in alumni support, Christendom can now do more for its students than ever before, and can continue to do so long into the future.

Comparison of Giving Rate Percentage Before & After Giving Day 2018

BEFORE

”

AFTER

39%

35 30 25

28%

20 15

11%

15%

TOTAL ALUMNI RATE *

U.S. NEWS RATE **

* Alumni (completed one semester or more) with valid address ** Used as a benchmark comparison between all U.S. colleges and universities; the U.S. News alumni stats include only alumni with a completed bachelor’s degree and valid address

SAVE THE DATE THE 2ND ANNUAL ALUMNI GIVING DAY APRIL 30, 2019 SUMMER 2018

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Believing

in Families Alumni Make Adoption Affordable

What greater act of imitating Godâ€™s creation

is there than starting a family? Men and women have been imitating God in this way since the dawn of time, passing on faith, traditions, and more to the present day. For those couples unable to conceive children, they often start a family through a different means: adoption. And yet the financial expense of adopting a child can be an incredible burden, leading many to abandon the idea of adoption altogether. The reality of this burden is one that Christendom alumna Margaret Luckey â€™97 wants to change. Today, she is making great strides toward helping families as the executive director of Siena Adoption Services, an adoption agency that aims to make adoption affordable for families.

SUMMER 2018

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I think it’s very comforting for potential adoptive parents when they call and talk to one of our social workers and they know that we are not going to judge them for their Catholic beliefs, which may seem extreme to some social workers, but also because we’re not a business. We are here for no reason other than we believe in adoption and we believe in families and we want it to be affordable.

”

Luckey was approached last year by Annie Surine, a Franciscan University alumna and adoptive mother, who wanted to find a way to make adoption financially possible for other families. Luckey, a licensed therapist, was immediately attracted to the idea, and Siena Adoption Services was born: an organization that would provide both family-friendly and affordable services to families. “So many of our friends have spent their life savings trying to do something very normal and natural, simply just trying to have a family,” says Luckey. “We had the ability and the expertise to do this, and we felt that we were being called to help our community in this way. I think it’s very comforting for potential adoptive parents when they call and talk to one of our social workers and they know that we are not going to judge them for their Catholic beliefs, which may seem extreme to some social workers, but also because we’re not a business. We are here for no reason other than we believe in adoption and we believe in families and we want it to be affordable.” Adopting a child is a lengthy process—another prospect that can be daunting, particularly financially, to interested parents. If a couple wants to adopt a child, they first need to

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Margaret Luckey

apply to an adoption agency, then meet with a social worker. After that, they are subject to a home study and then are entered into a pool of potential adoptive parents. If they are lucky and have a child placed with them, they still have to hire an attorney and wait before the adoption is finalized. Siena exists to not only make that process easier but also much cheaper. While most home studies alone can cost $1,500, Siena can do it for $600 or less. Siena also provides the court report and post-placement services. Luckey, thanks to her background in counseling, is also able to offer counseling services to birth parents and adoptive families. She strives to make the adoption process both financially possible and family-friendly as well, giving families the support they need through such an important process. The organization exists for another purpose as well: encouraging mothers with an unwanted pregnancy to carry their children to term and then give them up for adoption. If Siena can accomplish both those goals, it can do more than just help people start families—it can save lives as well. “Starting Siena wasn’t a difficult choice,” says Luckey. “I was inspired by my friends working in the pro-life community, for one thing. After one night of watching videos

of girls telling their abortion stories, in order to better serve my clients as a therapist, it occurred to me that many of the stories were very similar and followed a pattern: there was no choice; these young ladies never made the decision; other people made the appointments and they just went. They were fed a lie, the lie is that there is no choice. I wanted to tell these young ladies that there is a choice, that they can be brave, and that these babies can live—and, if they don’t want them, that there is a family out there that will love them. Siena can make that happen.” If this all sounds like a lot of intense work, it is. And yet Luckey and the rest of the staff at Siena Adoption Services do all of this for free as volunteers. They care that deeply about the work they are doing that they don’t require a paycheck at the end of the day—just the satisfaction of knowing they are helping children and families in need through their important efforts. This passion and selflessness attracted another Christendom alumnus to the cause—Matthew Akers ’03, an attorney and managing partner with the law office McCarthy and Akers. When Luckey told Akers about what they were doing at Siena, Akers offered to help in any way he could.

The adoption process can be complicated legally, so having an attorney able to help is a blessing. “It’s truly a privilege to assist Margaret and the rest of the staff of Siena in their work restoring all things in Christ through their service to families,” says Akers. One of the slogans for Siena Adoption Services is, “Choose to be brave. Choose to be strong. Choose adoption.” Because of the efforts of Luckey, of Akers, and of others, parents are making the choice to carry children to term and entrust them to loving families. They are, literally, saving lives and making families whole, all for no monetary gain. In today’s culture, what they’re proposing can be considered radical—a term that was used in reference to St. Catherine of Siena as well, the namesake of the adoption agency. Like her, Siena is bucking the trends of society and making a difference. Making a difference was something that Christendom founder Dr. Warren Carroll desired for every Christendom student. Margaret Luckey is living up to that legacy. Matthew Akers is too. And because of them, countless others are now being given the chance to do the same.

SUMMER 2018

When We Came to Rome A S E M E S T E R A B ROA D | B Y L AU R A C E R M A K ’ 1 9 It happens every time. We welcome the juniors back to campus after their semester abroad in Rome and we ask these “Romers,” as we affectionately call them, “How was Rome?” We see their eyes shine, their smiles widen—and their words trail off. “How was Rome?” The best we can do is describe our own 77-day pilgrimage, each person with their own unique journey. For historians, artists, and pilgrims alike, Rome is a hall of heroes. For Catholics, Rome is a taste of heaven on earth. And for us, for one semester at least, it was home sweet home. It’s the same principle whenever we transition to a new environment. To be home is to belong somewhere. The first time I stepped into St. Peter’s Square, I saw the double colonnade reaching out to embrace the faithful, and I knew: I was where I belonged. After just one week, I felt at home, and I wrote this in my reflection journal: “Professor Liz Lev’s remarks this week resonated with me: Rome was always a place where you came to see not things but people, specifically the saints and the Pope. It was a place you

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visited to be united with your whole spiritual family, through the sacraments, veneration of relics, sacred art, and architecture. Rome has already begun to feel like a second home to me.” The communion of saints and universality of the Church become tangible in Rome. At Easter Sunday Mass in St. Peter’s Square—where some of our group succeeded in claiming front-row seats—each reading was read in a different language. Christians from every nation prayed, sang, and stood in joyful silence together. I had never heard the square so hushed and still as when thousands of Christians filled its gates to celebrate the Risen Lord. At several moments, all you could hear were the quiet rushing fountains and the far-off calls of birds. “How was Rome?” We experienced not just one foreign culture but many. Rome itself has a culture. Siena, Assisi, and Florence each have their own culture. There’s a local patriotism, a campanilismo, for every region, town, and even neighborhood. At several events throughout the semester, local instructors and guides shared their unique cultural heritage with us. Daphne, for example, welcomed us into her beautiful Roman kitchen

for a group cooking class. I wrote in my journal afterwards: “What Daphne taught us was that cooking is a way to connect with both nature and family roots. When the menu is dependent on the farmers’ crop, when the recipes are drawn from the examples of one’s grandmother and other influences in one’s life, cooking becomes one of the deepest possible expressions of cultural identity.” I also reflected on a remarkable wine tasting lunch we had one Saturday: “Alessandro gave us some idea of how long it takes to cultivate a vineyard and hone the flavor of the wine, even letting us sample wines that had been grown on the same plot of land for hundreds of years.” To pick a more eccentric example of local culture, I wrote after our walking tour of Siena, “I enjoyed hearing from Lucia about the Palio horse race and other unique Sienese traditions. Having been a wealthy, independent republic for hundreds of years, Siena is extremely proud of its medieval heritage and quirks.” The tiny city is divided into 17 districts, whose boundaries are marked by insignia carved into the street corners, and whose pride hangs entirely on the outcome of a 90-second horserace. However, our week of pilgrimage in Siena and Assisi did more than introduce us to quaint towns. It was a powerful retreat bringing us into the lives of some of the greatest saints

in history: Catherine, Francis, and Clare. We didn’t just learn about them. We got to know them, walk where they walked, and pray where they prayed. In Siena, our hotel was right next door to the house of St. Catherine. In Assisi, we walked the same path that St. Clare walked that night she stole away from her noble house to profess her vows before Francis and his followers. Looking out over each town, I couldn’t help but marvel at how little has changed and how each city’s patron saints continue to protect them. I could go on, but to come full circle and answer the question “How was Rome?” I have one final anecdote: college president Dr. Timothy O’Donnell’s famous tour of St. Peter’s. Dr. O’Donnell, with his characteristic passion and powerful storytelling, opened our eyes in a new way to the historicity of Christ’s life and death, the real-life heroism of the early martyrs, and the enormity of the Church’s mission. We were able to kiss the worn foot of the statue of St. Peter and pray at the tombs of John Paul II and Pius X. Best of all, we knelt together as humble pilgrims before the confessio, renewing our commitment to the Faith of the Fisherman. “How was Rome?” Rome was . . . Rome is . . . the beating heart of Christendom. Once you go, you’re not just part of it—it’s part of you.

Top (L-R): Cooking class, wine tasting, Laura in St. Peter’s square. Bottom: Dr. O’Donnell leads his famous tour of St. Peter’s Basilica.

SUMMER 2018

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P H OTO A L BU M

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1. The Christendom Players performed the musical comedy Damn Yankees for this year’s spring play. 2. Students gave the community some “whodunit” fun with the annual Mystery Dinner Play. 3. Theology professor Mary Stanford discusses “Self-Image in a Selfie Culture” with women at the formation series At the Well. 4. Senior athletes are honored at the annual Athletics Banquet. 12

5. Christendom students joined Diocese of Arlington Bishop Michael Burbidge to protest the evils of abortion on April 21. 6. Sophomore Ian Heisler was named the USCAA Baseball Player of the Week after he threw a nohitter in the Crusaders’ season opener. 7. Crusader Baseball: freshman Stephen Buonocore at bat. 8. Lady Crusader Softball: sophomore Mary-Grace Handy rounds first base for a double.

9. 2018 Crusader Baseball. 10. 2018 Lady Crusader Softball. 11. Dancing at Spring Formal 2018.

12. Math major Kieran O’Donnell takes a question at his thesis defense. 13. Alumnus Ben Ferri ’09 gives insights on a career in real estate to students at a Life on Tap event. 14. Dissecting pigs in Anatomy and Physiology II with science professor Dr. Aileen Foeckler. 15. Theology professor Eric Jenislawski addresses seniors at the Theology Major Dinner. 16

16. Christendom’s student orchestra performs at a concert held in April.

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@christendomcollege SUMMER 2018

CRUSADER

A WORTHY

After stunning the rugby world

with an overtime National Championship—sealing victory last year, the Crusaders returned to the rugby pitch in 2017-18 with a worthy sequel, thrilling fans both on campus and off in the process. In the fall, the Crusaders fielded their 15s team in conference play, blowing past opponents and making their way to the 2017 CCRC NSCRO Champions Cup for the first time in school history. Not only did they make it there, they charged through it, defeating Duke University to earn a berth to the 15s National Championship playoffs for the first time. While the Crusaders would fall short of that goal, earning an inaugural berth was an accomplishment in and of itself, and a sign of greater things to come for the 15s team. In the spring, the Crusaders entered tournament play, competing well once again in the annual Cherry Blossom rugby tournament in Washington, D.C., and sweeping through Fran-

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ciscan University of Steubenville and Ave Maria University to win the Frassati Invitational for the second year in a row. The high point of the spring came near the end of April, however, as the Crusaders resoundingly won the Central East 7s Qualifier tournament to earn a trip back to the 7s National Championship. The Crusaders outscored their opponents 115-10, making a bold statement before their return to Philadelphia in June. The Crusaders returned to Philadelphia as one of only two teams from 2017’s National Championship field to earn a berth back—testimony to how hard it can be to have the same accomplishment two years in a row. Further testimony came after the first day of competition, with Christendom emerging as the only team from 2017 to earn a trip into the Final Four, after going 1-1-1 and tying Iowa Community College in their final match—the only team to not lose to them all season. Their return to the semifinals earned the Crusaders their first trip to ESPN as well, with the worldwide leader in sports

“LITTLE MAN WITH THE BIG TRY” During ESPN’s broadcast of the NSCRO 7s National Championship semifinals, the play-by-play commentator enthusiastically exclaimed “look at the little man with the big try!” at one point, as a Christendom player dove into the try zone (see photo to

RUGBY

the left). That little man was Vincent Duhig, a rising sophomore and rugby star who led Christendom in points scored for 2017-18 — as a freshman. Duhig, one of seven adopted Filipino children

SEQUEL

of alumna Diane Duhig ’85 and her husband,

coverage broadcasting the game live. The Crusaders ultimately fell to Claremont College 12-17, but they gave their all at their repeat attempt at the National Championship. The Crusaders finished their tremendous 2017-18 season like they began it—with prayer and with all the glory to God. Their accomplishments have made them a known force now, a team expected to leave it all on the field and find great success. Their coaches are respected leaders, and the players, with their skills and their smarts, are all-stars—five Crusaders will play in the first-ever NSCRO All-Star Championship this July. Seniors Daniel Snyman, Richard Blank, Dominic Mann, Paul Maschue, Nick Santschi, and Sean Vance will be sorely missed next fall, but Christendom rugby can be confident they will return to Philadelphia again, and again, and again, ready to leave it all on the field, all for the love of the game and the glory of God.

to pursue it as a degree in college (though his talents

Steven, doesn’t just score big tries in big games for Christendom—he is also a commissioned artist, with his portraits being bought by alumni of the college. Duhig did not go to art school and did not choose would certainly warrant it). Instead, Duhig is studying the liberal arts at Christendom, expanding his mind while still giving him the time to work on his art. This past spring, Duhig posted a picture of a sketch he was working on of Christendom founder Dr. Warren Carroll (above) on his Facebook page, catching the eye of various faculty and staff. The work wowed them, and the college bought the artwork upon its completion. Now it will be displayed for all to see for years to come, giving Duhig an impressive legacy at the college, before he even begins his sophomore year. The “little man with the big try” scores again.

SUMMER 2018

In the Classroom HIGHLIGHTING A COURSE FROM OUR RICH CURRICULUM | MORALITY AND MODERNITY By Dr. Joseph Brutto

Works of academic scholarship tend to

reach a very limited audience. However, such was not the fate of philosopher Alasdair MacIntyre’s ground-breaking book, After Virtue, first published in 1981. MacIntyre’s book was reviewed in the New York Times and was widely read by both academic and educated, non-academic audiences. In Morality and Modernity students are led through an indepth examination of this work, reading nearly every chapter over the course of the semester. By combining resources from the fields of political science, history, and philosophy (among others), Christendom students are introduced to the essential elements of MacIntyre’s argument. After Virtue is principally concerned with the question of how moral language functions in the modern world. MacIntyre observes that the way we use moral language seems to indicate that it has fallen into a state of disorder. So much moral argument, MacIntyre claims, seems to involve people talking past one another. We make appeals to this right, that liberty, this feeling, and so on without really seeming to address our interlocutors in terms that they both understand and accept. The course takes students through MacIntyre’s diagnosis of how and why moral language has come to be so disordered. MacIntyre argues that our use of moral language has not always been so incoherent. Prior to the Enlightenment the use of moral language was governed by certain shared standards—standards informed by an Aristotelian-Thomistic worldview that the Enlightenment sought to discredit. By helping students to understand the history of the decline of the coherence of moral language, this course seeks to make students more aware of the philosophical and historical events that have led us to where we are today. Only through understanding the origins of modernity will students be prepared to work to solve contemporary problems and, in so doing, contribute to Christendom College’s mission to restore all things in Christ.

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Above: Philosopher and author Alasdair MacIntyre. Below: Dr. Joseph Brutto in the classroom.

Send your submissions to classmates@christendom.edu.

CLASSMATES 1980s

Your Paper & Ink Alumni Social Network 1990s

Gwen Adams ’01 recently earned a Ph.D. in theology from the Maryvale Institute and opened a creative workshop called Bardstreet.com. She is currently writing a book on stories of the New Evangelization forthcoming from Augustine Institute Press.

In June, Leo White ’80 was elected president of the parish council for the Shrine of the Sacred Heart in Mt. Washington in Baltimore, where he also teaches seventh grade Sunday school and serves as lector. On June 12, Leo and Lourdes White went on a 10-day pilgrimage to the Holy Land. Sr. Juanita Marie of the Cross, O.C.D., (Margaret Flagg) ’83 celebrated her 25-year Silver Jubilee as a Carmelite on June 16, at the Carmelite Monastery in Buffalo, New York.

Philip and Laura (née Charba) Mire ’87 are currently living in Sydney, Australia, for a year. They are enjoying the music heard at St. Mary’s Cathedral, which is a 10-minute walk from their apartment.

Sister Peter Verona O.P. (Suzanne Bodoh) ’96 was present when her younger sister joined her in a common vocation of the religious life: Sister Juanita Cruz (Jessica Bodoh) ’10 made her final vows as a Missionary of Charity on May 24, 2018. Kate Palladino ’97 just wrapped up her first year as a member of the Savoy Company in a production of Gilbert and Sullivan’s Iolanthe at Longwood Gardens and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Savoy Company is the oldest amateur theater company in the world devoted exclusively to the production of Gilbert and Sullivan operas. Joanne Elizabeth Fields ’98 is engaged to Edward James Portzer. The Sacrament of Holy Matrimony will take place in a private ceremony on July 20, 2018, in Washington, DC.

Dr. Gloria Falcao Dodd ’87, the director of academic programs at International Marian Research Institute at the University of Dayton, gave a talk, “Mediatrix of All Graces: A Contemporary Approach—Mother of the Church,” at a Marian Conference in San Angelo, Texas. Mary (née Fegan) Walsh ’88 has spent several years working as a congressional staffer on Capitol Hill. She has written for many publications and is a homeschooling mom with 20+ years’ experience. She lives with her husband and children in Fredericksburg, Virginia. Check out her new website at be-notafraid.com and read about faith, family, and freedom.

2000s

As Trisha (née Folsom) Dean ’98 and Patrick Dean ’98 welcomed a new addition to their family, they also planned the high school graduation of their eldest child. Annie May was born on May 15 to join Joseph (5), James (10), Mary (13), Peter (16), and John (18). John graduated from high school on June 16 and will be attending Christendom in the fall.

In April, Andrew ’01 and Sarah ’03 Antonio welcomed their seventh child, Bonaventure Blaise. John and Maria (née Gaetano) O’Brien ’02 are adopting Vitaliy, a boy from Ukraine this summer. Prayers are gratefully appreciated. You can read their story on Lifesong: mystory.lifesongfororphans.org/stories/ adopting-our-host-son-from-ukraine/ Senior Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Don Goodman ’03 led a case at the Virginia Court of Appeals in April that allowed law enforcement and medical professionals to testify on behalf of a domestic violence victim intimidated into silence by abusers—a move the Loudoun commonwealth attorney’s office has called “a blow in the fight against domestic violence.” David Rudmin ’04 launched a homeschooltargeted automated online Latin teaching website, WriteLatin.org, which uses newly designed instant-feedback mechanisms to train students to think in a Latinate word order.

SUMMER 2018

Mike and Bunny (née Martell) ’04 Cerny welcomed their eighth child four weeks early on April 7. Anastasia Maria Catherine was born at home weighing 4 lbs. 8 oz. She has a chromosomal disorder called 7q36 deletion syndrome, which resulted in holoprosencephaly (severe underdevelopment and incomplete lobal separation of the brain) and cleft lip and palate. She is a sweet little girl nicknamed Tiny Princess by some in her fan club. At eight weeks old she is doing pretty well, gaining weight like any healthy baby, but needs constant oxygen and a feeding tube. You can read all about her and see lots more photos at her blog www.anastasiac.info. Please pray for Anastasia and her family. Dr. Kelly Scott Franklin ’06 was recently published by Cluny Media. The Shattered Fountain showcases the literary genius and spiritual power of the distinguished American novelist Nathaniel Hawthorne through 10 of his best short stories and features and introduction by Franklin.

Dr. O’Donnell was the speaker at the 15th annual Sister Elise Benefit dinner for Holy Angels Academy in Louisville, Kentucky. Prior to the event, alumni and parents gathered for a luncheon in honor of Dr. and Mrs. O’Donnell.

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Danni (née Ampi) Judge ’07 and her family moved to Front Royal last fall when her husband Tim started working as the dean of students at Christendom. They have three children: Malia (5), Titus (3), and Audrey (1). T.J. ’07 and Faith Marie Dhanagom were married on April 7. They are expecting a child in midJanuary.

Jennifer Martin ’08 graduated from Thomas Jefferson School of Law with a Juris Doctorate (summa cum laude), and on the same day (May 12, 2018), Christopher Martin ’07 graduated from Claremont Graduate University with a Ph.D. in History. They have three sons: Ashton, Alexander, and Andrew. Matthew Bowman ’08 and Lori Janeski ’09 are engaged to be married on November 11. Ed and Monica (née Horiuchi) Burns ’09 welcomed Thomas Michael into their family on March 13, 2018.

2010s Sarah Flamminio ’08 recently graduated from the Fulbright U.S. Student Program. Sarah is pictured with the head of the Warsaw Fulbright Commission, the U.S. Embassy Deputy Chief of Mission, and the Polish Deputy Minister of Education.

In March, Daniel ’10 and Rebekah Collins welcomed Luke Xavier Collins who joined his four older sisters, Sofia, Colette, Felicity, and Maddie. Sarah (née Marchand) Salmon ’10 and her husband, Ben, welcomed Zoe Josephine on March 15. Francesca (19 mo.) is enjoying her new role as big sister.

Nicholas Blank ’13 was ordained a transitional deacon for the Diocese of Arlington by Bishop Michael Burbidge on June 2, 2018.

Jeremiah and Katie (née Erwin) Ii ’10 are excited to announce the birth of their fourth baby and first boy, John. Rebekah (née Skiba) Miller ’11 and her husband, Zachary, welcomed their first child, Katherine Jane, on March 28, 2018. Damien James Niedzwiecki, son of J.P. Niedzwiecki ’12 and Lauren Niedzwiecki ’14, was born on May 30, 2018. His older sister, Natalie, adores him and takes every opportunity to hold and love him.

Adam ’13 M.A. and Lizzie (née Crnkovich) ’12 Richard welcomed their daughter Madeleine Zelie Marie into the world last September (Christendom’s 40th birthday, to be exact). They also just moved to central Pennsylvania from California and are now enjoying the four seasons. Mary Frank ’13 just started a summer Missionary Internship with Dumb Ox Ministries, a nonprofit Catholic organization that works with teens and young adults to teach the message of Pope John Paul II’s Theology of the Body.

Kelly Lawyer Cabana ’13 and her husband, Joshua, just purchased their first home in Fairfax, Virginia.

This spring, Jordan and Lauren Mann ’14 moved to Leesburg, Virginia, and were blessed by the birth of their second child, Raphael Joseph. Rebecca Willen ’15 moved to Fort Wayne, Indiana, this spring to take the role of associate editor at Our Sunday Visitor.

Neil Baldwin ’13 and his wife Marilyn have a daughter, Catalina, who will be two in July. This spring, Neil was commissioned with the United States Air Force as a Second Lieutenant at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama. Steven Wood ’13 was ordained a transitional deacon on April 7 for the Diocese of Sacramento. Deacon Steven’s parish and family—including his sister Melody ’15— witnessed him assist and preach at the Divine Mercy Sunday Mass in Auburn, California, before he returned to Mt. Angel Seminary in Oregon. With great joy, Mark and Lisa (née Hill) Pertuso ’13 welcomed their first child, Margaret Ann, on April 17, 2018. She was baptized soon after on May 6 at Regina Caeli Parish (FSSP) in Houston, Texas.

In December, Rosie McNeely ’17 and John Ruhl were engaged and will get married in Nebraska in August. Madeleine Post ’18 recently started graduate studies in theology at the University of Notre Dame.

Morgan Witt and Matthew Trojacek ’18 were married in the Christendom College chapel on May 21. They will be moving to Michigan where Matthew will be beginning an M.A. in medieval history at WMU. [Photo courtesy of Madeleine Deighan Photography] . IN OUR PRAYERS: Mass is offered for the alumni on Sundays and all First Fridays. Remember that you can have Masses said for special intentions or for friends and family! Contact Vince Criste for more info at vince.criste@christendom.edu.

SUMMER 2018

Omnia in Christo Friendship and the Art of Rhetoric

Taken from the college’s motto “Instaurare Omnia in Christo,” this section features an essay or excerpt from a recent paper or talk by one of Christendom’s distinguished faculty.

By Andrew Beer, Ph.D.

n Plato’s dialogue titled Gorgias, Socrates describes professional public speakers as a kind of “flatterer.” “Flatterer,” however, does not convey the full force of the Greek word kolax. As one scholar notes, a kolax is “what the 18th century called a toad-eater or lickspittle and schoolboys call a bumsucker.”1 “Brownnoser” comes closest in American English. Why does Socrates speak so harshly of public speakers and their craft, the art of rhetoric? To see why, we should consider the other practices with which Socrates classifies the art of rhetoric. For rhetoric is only one of the four branches of “the brownnoser’s craft” (kolakeutikē). The others are fine cookery, cosmetology, and sophistry. Fine cooks, beauticians, and sophists, no less than rhetorical speakers, are different species of the genus “brownnoser.” The reason is their indifference to the welfare of those on whom they practice their craft: they are concerned merely with pleasing or gratifying the persons they work upon, by either feeding them delicious food, making them appear beautiful, or by inducing an analogous effect upon the soul. Each of these practices, Socrates claims, seeks out “the pleasant” but disregards “the good.” Fine cooks, beauticians, rhetoricians, and sophists only care how you feel; they don’t care what kind of person you are. So great is Socrates’ disdain for such practices that he refuses to call them genuine “crafts” or

To the extent that each is a kolax, his public speeches are aimed merely at gratifying his audience, not at making them better persons. For such speakers are really concerned with acquiring greater personal political power.

“arts.”2 Each of these “practices” or “knacks” is fundamentally “irrational” (alogos).3 It cannot give a “rational account” (logos) of the pleasure it produces in either the body or the soul, because it does not understand its nature in the way a physician or philosopher would. Therefore, in contrast to the four branches of “brownnosing,” Socrates also describes four true and noble arts (technai): medicine, gymnastics, justice, and legislation.4 Medicine and gymnastics cooperate in the “care of the body,” justice and legislation in the “care of the soul.” Another name for “care of the soul” is “the art of politics,” or better, “the caretaking of a polis” (in Greek, politikē). Each of these true arts is superior to the corresponding “practice” for two reasons: it aims at the true good of either the body or the soul and can give a rational account of that good and of the means of promoting it. This elaborate analysis of genuine arts and their corresponding pseudo-arts occupies only about three pages of the dialogue. The rest depicts three conversations between Socrates and three different interlocutors, each of whom is a professional public speaker, a rhētōr. Each is thus also a “flatterer” or “brownnoser,” if Socrates’ description of rhetoric is correct.

There is thus a kind of reciprocal utility which exists between such speakers and their audience. As the speaker does more to gratify his audience by telling them what they wish to hear and helping them satisfy their desires for more and more material goods, so the audience confers upon him ever greater power and public esteem. But neither the speaker himself nor the audience whom he “serves” is a true friend to the other. For neither speaker nor audience has any concern for the ultimate welfare of the other, for his moral goodness, or, as Socrates would say, for the health of his soul. Precisely such concern, however, is the basis for the best and truest kind of friendship.5 Most readers of Plato’s Gorgias have decided that Plato’s attitude toward the art of rhetoric is wholly negative. What they have failed to see, however, is that alongside Plato’s depiction of the ignoble “brownnosing” kind of rhetoric stands a rhetorical practice of a wholly different kind, that of Socrates himself, who endeavors in every one of his conversations (logoi), both private and public, to discover and make present in his community the best kind of life for a human being. As a Neoplatonist reader of the dialogue comments, Socrates’ method of speaking is one that enables its practitioners, “who aim at truth,” to “depart in possession of the firmest friendship.”6 A graduate of the University of Virginia, Andrew Beer, Ph.D., is associate professor of classical and early Christian studies. This excerpt comes from an essay he has written for an edited volume on friendship in Plato.

1. E. R. Dodds, Plato: Gorgias (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1959), 225. The passage of the Gorgias I refer to is 463e5–465e1. 2. The Greek word is technē: “an art or craft, i.e. a set of rules, system or method of making or doing, whether of the useful arts, or of the fine arts” (Liddell, Scott, and Jones s.v. τέχνη, III.). 3. The Greek word for “practice” or “knack” is empeiria: “practice, without knowledge of principles” (ibid. s.v. ἐμπειρία, II.). 4. Gymnastics here has the broad sense of “athletic exercise for the development of the body.” 5. See Aristotle’s Nichomachean Ethics, 8.3–4, 1156a6–1157b5. 6. The reader is Olympiodorus the Younger of Alexandria. See William Norvin, ed., Olympiodori Philosophi in Platonis Gorgiam Commentaria (Hildesheim: Georg Olms, 1966), 49.

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I N T H E F O O T S T E P S O F S T. J O H N P A U L I I

POLAND & ROME

October 12–21, 2018

Krakow • Auschwitz • Shrine of Divine Mercy • Wadowice

St. Peter’s • Colosseum • St. John Lateran • Angelicum

Join Christendom College President Dr. Timothy O’Donnell and his wife, Cathy, as they lead a pilgrimage in the footsteps of St. John Paul II celebrating the 40th anniversary of the saint’s election as the Vicar of Christ.

Price: $3,725

Space is limited

christendom.edu/romeandpoland

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All proceeds support the Thomas S. Vander Woude Memorial Scholar Athlete Scholarship.

Christendom College

Published on Aug 3, 2018

Instaurare | Summer 2018

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas joins 40th Anniversary Year Commencement Ceremonies, and more.

Instaurare | Summer 2018

Published on Aug 3, 2018

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas joins 40th Anniversary Year Commencement Ceremonies, and more.

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