Tower Magazine, Spring 2023

by Erasmus de Bie.

The State of Civil Discourse

here are many reasons why the poor state of civil discourse in our country should concern us, but none seems to me greater than the threat it suggests to our very humanity. Speaking, reasoning and living in community with others are fundamental features of what it means to be human. Are we speaking persuasively? Are we reasoning soundly? Are we living together virtuously? There is more to thinking clearly and living virtuously than exercising civil discourse, but civil discourse is necessary to each of these activities. Its absence is a sure sign that we are not flourishing.

Universities have a vital role to play in cultivating and promoting civil discourse, and when universities fail to live up to that calling, it can be more disturbing than what we see happening in Washington, D.C., and elsewhere. This is because the life of the mind feeds on inquiry, argumentation and patience with others, and these are each hallmarks of civil discourse. Outside of the family, there is no better training ground for civil discourse than a truly excellent liberal arts university. If it is Catholic, so much the better, for claims for respect for persons can be grounded in their deepest terms, and a capacious appreciation for a wide variety of inquiry is possible because of the institution’s sense of security about the most important matters of faith. It is only an ideologue, always restless about his claims to certainty, who refuses to hear opposing arguments.

Thinking is dialectical. We learn to think by learning how to pit ideas against each other to see what remains. St. Thomas aquinas is the master of this dialectical art, carefully assembling and arguing in favor of those objections to his claims before responding to them, only having arrived at what he holds after sincerely considering arguments to the contrary.

The excellent Catholic liberal arts university puts before its students things worth arguing about. What is a hero? Can a hero have moral flaws? What is justice? What does justice have to do with happiness? Why did God make Adam, knowing he would fall? Are numbers beings? What is nature? What are you seeing when you study the stars? These are just a few of the questions put to our students by the works they study and the excellent faculty who lead them.

Excellent guides such as we have at the University of Dallas demand of and cultivate in their students civil discourse, not principally because they are hoping we might all get along, but because they recognize that such discourse entails the dialectical structure of thought necessary to determine the truth as well as the patience required to find it in concert with others. Civil discourse is necessary for the beings we are, and helps to identify, test and yield to the principal good of university education — the truth. And, in finding the truth in concert with others, we flourish.

TOWER

PRESIDENT

Jonathan J. Sanford, Ph.D.

VP FOR DEVElOPmENT & UNIVERSITy RElaTIONS

Kris Muñoz Vetter

VP FOR maRKETING & COmmUNICaTIONS

Clare Venegas

SENIOR EDITORS

Aaron Claycomb

Isaiah Mitchell

DESIGNER

Sarah Oates

CONTRIBUTORS

Julie Abell, MBA ’91

Jason Anderson

Peter Burleigh

Vasile Chiriac

Alyssa Coe, BA ’19 MBA ’22

Bainard Cowan, BA ’70, Ph.D.

Scott Crider, M.Th. ’18, Ph.D.

Philip Harold, Ph.D.

Nathan Hunsinger

Anthony Mazur

Jeff McWhorter

Daniel Orazio, BA ’13

Jonathan J. Sanford, Ph.D.

Ron St. Angelo

Shannon Valenzuela, BA ’00, Ph.D.

Matthias Vorwerk, Ph.D.

Michael West, BA ’06, Ph.D.

Austin Westervelt-Lutz

Elise Williams

Tower magazine is published twice annually by the Office of Marketing and Communications and the Office of Development and University Relations for the University of Dallas community. Opinions in Tower magazine are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the university.

The university does not discriminate on the basis of sex in its programs and activities. Any person alleging discrimination in violation of Title IX may present a complaint to the Title IX coordinator. The coordinator assists in an informal resolution of the complaint or guides the complainant to the appropriate individual or process for resolving the complaint. The university has designated Inelda acosta, Ed.D., director of the Office of Civil Rights and Title IX. She can be reached at 972-721-5056. The Human Resources Office is located on the first floor of Cardinal Farrell Hall, and the phone number is 972-721-5382.

©University of Dallas 2023. All rights reserved.

Your feedback is welcome. Letters to the editor can be sent to University of Dallas, Office of Marketing and Communications, 1845 E. Northgate Dr., Irving, TX 75062; towermagazine@udallas.edu

Jonathan J. Sanford, Ph.D. President, Professor of Philosophy

"Saint Thomas Aquinas with Saints Ambrose, Augustine, Pope Gregory the Great and Jerome contemplating the Blessed Sacrament,"

FEATURES

10

Good Neighbors

For Scott Crider, M.Th. ’18, Ph.D., tolerance isn’t just an intellectual virtue.

12

On the Lost Art of Arguing Without Quarreling

President Jonathan J. Sanford, Ph.D., talks about what makes UD different.

14

God in the Looking Glass

Shannon Valenzuela, BA ’00, Ph.D., meditates on Christ becoming human.

18

Renewing a Culture of Life

UD alumni play a critical role in the landmark decision overturning Roe.

26

Cultivating Career Success

After college, the “ability to think critically, collaborate and communicate” goes a long way.

29

Of Trees and Bells

Sybil Novinski remembers when UD was pasture land.

RECURRING

02 UD360°

05 Heard Around Campus

24 Photo Album

28 Class Notes

32 Last Word

construction of the Braniff Mall, designed by texas godfather of modern architecture o’neil Ford with landry and landry, started in 1967.

on the cover: “The Debate of Socrates and Aspasia," by Nicolas-André Monsiau.

Best value, haPPiest students.

The University of Dallas recently earned high marks of excellence from leading publications, moving up to the #2 spot for “Best Value” among U.S. News & World Report's “Best Colleges” in the West, as well as landing the #6 spot for “Happiest Students” by The Princeton Review.

Ceremony Highlights

Faculty Research, Investment in Students

round 120 faculty and staff gathered just before the start of the spring semester to honor faculty members’ accomplishments, celebrate the service of those retiring and name the annual King and Haggar Fellows.

Reserved for professors that show devotion to both their students and their scholarly projects, the two awards recognize exemplary research and teaching skill.

VP, dean and director of the Rome Program Peter Hatlie, Ph.D., and assistant professor of biology Inimary Toby, Ph.D., received the night’s top honors. Hatlie was named King Fellow for his scholarly accomplishments, especially his ongoing research on monastic life in Constantinople, as well as his dedication to the thousands of undergraduates who continue to learn under him. Having served the Rome program since 2003, Hatlie received the King Fellow award virtually from Rome. Toby was named Haggar Fellow for her contributions to undergraduate science programs, the success of her student research and her diligent scholarly work in biology.

Other faculty were recognized for their scholarly contributions and teaching skill. The stories recounted at the ceremony include Professor of English Robert Dupree, Ph.D., BA ’62, teaching a class by telephone while finishing his Yale dissertation in New Haven, and Professor of English Scott Crider, M.Th. ’18, Ph.D., reading the book of Matthew in a hospital with the late theology professor Father Roch Kereszty — one of the few Hungarian Cistercian scholar monks that helped shepherd UD from its early years to the 21st century — in his last months.

Mr. and Mrs. Edmond R. Haggar and the Carl B. and Florence E. King Foundation funded the Haggar Scholar, Haggar Fellow and King Fellow awards. The Haggerty Teaching Excellence Awards are made possible by the generosity of the Haggerty Family Foundation.

1 Peter hatlie, Ph.D., director of the Rome Program, was honored as this year’s King Fellow. Hatlie was granted a sabbatical to continue his research on monastic life in medieval Constantinople.

2 Biology professor inimary toby, Ph.D., was honored as this year’s Haggar Fellow for her work with the Community Assistance Research (CARE) initiative. Read more at udallas.edu/king-haggar

interiM leaders naMed.

The University of Dallas announced the appointment of longtime politics professor Richard Dougherty, Ph.D. ’93 M.A. ’89, to serve as interim dean of the Braniff Graduate School of Liberal Arts. Reference librarian and adjunct French instructor Ron Scrogham, M.A., was appointed interim dean of libraries and research of the Cowan-Blakley Memorial Library. Dougherty, who has been teaching politics at the undergraduate and graduate levels at UD since 1990, will replace Joshua Parens, Ph.D., who has served as the dean of Braniff for nearly a decade.

Father stu re-released.

A PG-13 version of Mark Wahlberg's film “Father Stu” returned to theaters last December with cleaner language. The film tells the true story of Fr. Stuart Long, a roguish boxer-turned-Catholic priest who follows his calling while battling an incurable muscle disorder. Wahlberg hosted a special advance screening for UD students at Alamo Draft House in Las Colinas when the film originally debuted in March 2022. President Sanford and Fr. Joseph Albin, O.P., opened the evening with a warm UD welcome, joined by students that Wahlberg later said gave him “high hopes for the future.”

photos: nathan hunsinger, vasile chiriac, jeff mcwhorter, aaron claycomb, peter burleigh.

FoRGING oUR FUTURE

Alumni Set Sights on New Giving Goal

By Clare Venegas

fter over 910 undergraduate alumni banded together late last year to unlock a $100,000 grant as part of the Forging Our Future initiative, alumni leaders are setting their sights on the next goal of reaching 1,900 unique donors by May 31, 2023, to unlock a second grant of $200,000.

“We were blessed to have a generous young alumni couple step forward at the Alumni and Family weekend last fall to incentivize others to support their alma mater,” said President Jonathan J. Sanford “Some of our competitors have annual giving rates by alumni that approach 50%, and our

hope is to accelerate our alumni giving to reflect the excellence of the education UD alumni have had the benefit of receiving.”

The Forging Our Future initiative aims to increase alumni giving to 25% by 2025. Currently, approximately 16% of Constantin College alumni donate to UD each year.

“It’s important for all alumni to consider a gift of any amount, and for any purpose, since it directly benefits current students who rely on scholarship support to continue and complete their UD education,” said Daniel milligan, BA ’91, who serves as a University of Dallas trustee and president of the National Alumni Board.

CoR ChAllENGE 2023

Calling all alumni classes! Mark your calendars for March 27 through April 1. Will Spromers defeat Fromers? Which class will win the highest participation rate or the most funds raised? Learn more and get started at udallas.edu/corchallenge

Breaking records

The 2021-22 fiscal year, which ended May 31, 2022, marked a recordbreaking fundraising year, with total cash gifts of more than $5.1 million The success, acknowledged in an April 2022 Forbes Magazine article, represents the largest amount raised for endowed and operating support in the past decade and a 15% single-year increase in philanthropic revenue over the prior fiscal year. Over $2.3 million of this philanthropic support came from UD alumni, with an additional $680,000 given by current and former parents with a strategic giving focus on scholarship and faculty excellence. Additionally, more than 1,700 alumni contributed to their alma mater in the 2022 fiscal year, representing a 16% alumni participation rate, building positive momentum toward the 25% by 2025 Forging Our Future goal for alumni giving. Approximately 50% of faculty and staff also made a gift to the university in addition to their tireless efforts to ensure an outstanding education for UD students.

2021-22 FUNDRAISING

By The Numbers

GRAND TOTAL 15% annual increase CASH & GIFTS

$5.1 million

ALUMNI CONTRIBUTIONS

1,700 donors

+16% participation

$2.3 million GIVEN

crowley chamBer spring concerts

The Crowley Chamber “Music in the Museum” concerts are an excellent opportunity to hear great classical music in a beautiful setting and enjoy fellowship with other music lovers.

mAkING bEAUTIFUl mUSIC

The concerts feature a trio of UD music professors performing on the elegant but intimate stage of the Museum of Biblical Art floor, allowing for articulate clarity of each instrument and enriching their harmony with an acoustic backdrop fit for the chamber style. Professors Kristin Van Cleve, Andrey Ponochevny and MarieThaïs Oliver make up the trio on violin, piano and cello, respectively. Past performances have included orchestral pieces rearranged for the trio as well as music originally composed for chamber ensembles.

Q&A With Kristin Van Cleve

ince 2019, Kristin Van Cleve, director of the university’s Music Department, has organized the “Music at the Museum” concert series. In addition to her role at UD, Van Cleve is a professional musician, serving as the principal second violin with the Dallas Opera Orchestra and as artistic director and principal violinist of the historical performance ensemble Texas Camerata. We sat down to discuss her role at the University of Dallas, the “Music in the Museum” series and the importance of music in the life of the Diocese of Dallas.

The series began in the spring of 2019. The trio comprises UD music faculty members, including myself on violin, cellist marie-Thaïs Oliver and pianist andrey Ponochevny. The faculty have always performed recitals at the university, but when Marilyn Walker asked me to work with her on presenting the trio to a wider audience, it seemed like a perfect time to start the museum series.

The University of Dallas music program, of which the faculty trio is part, encourages students to study music, both as a performing art and as a liberal art, within the context of the renowned UD education. All are invited to attend these free concerts, held in the spring and fall, to experience the excellence of a UD education.

When: April 24-25 at 7:30 p.m.

Where: Museum of Biblical Art 7500 Park Lane, Dallas, TX 75225

RSVP : Reserve your seat at udallas.edu/crowley-trio

What first brought you to the University of Dallas?

I began teaching at UD in 2007 when marilyn Walker, the longtime director of the Music Department, hired me to work with chamber ensembles. I immediately knew I was at a special place and quickly came to fully appreciate and embrace the wonderful liberal arts education students receive at the university. Upon Marilyn’s retirement in 2012, I became the music program director.

How did “Music in the Museum” begin?

The Museum of Biblical Art in Dallas is a beautiful space that affords an environment that is visually impactful but also has excellent acoustics for live chamber music performances. We would love to have a dedicated performance space at the university, and until that happens, the Museum of Biblical Arts is where the Crowley Trio most often performs.

Why is it important to offer concerts such as these?

The purpose of the concerts is to bring beautiful music to the wider Dallas community and showcase the talent of our faculty musicians who teach our students. Our hope is to also raise awareness among those here in Dallas/Fort Worth about the exceptional liberal arts education that the university offers but to also raise awareness about the many benefits of our music program.

photos: anthony mazur, jason anderson.

winter Graduation.

Over 150 graduate students marked the completion of their master’s and doctoral degrees at the Satish and Yasmin Gupta College of Business Commencement on Dec. 9. Held at the Irving Arts Center, the event featured a keynote address by alumnus Dan Flaherty, BA ’82 MBA ’83, founder of VariDesk and founder and CEO of Gemmy Industries, and Ashley Streett, CTP, BA ’11 MBA ’14, who serves as vice president of Treasury Management for PNC Bank.

hEARd ARoUNd CAmPUS

From UD’s Core Curriculum to exploring ideas of how to rebuild culture, the pursuit of a Catholic liberal arts education requires an essential devotion to the art of civil discourse. Here’s a sample from important conversations heard around campus.

“There is no scenario where we are going to be able to secure our national interests and the people absent a deep integration of the government and the private sector. … We have a very real problem: We have been living off of the momentum of 40 years ago, and we have been engaged in the types of challenges that have allowed us to do more with less to some degree.”

Senior Fellow Klon Kitchen of the American Enterprise Institute at the fall 2022 Ellis Cybersecurity Series, “The Intersection of National Security, Defense Technologies & Innovation.”

new Faces on caMPus

The University of Dallas welcomed more than a dozen new faculty members last fall for the 2022-23 academic year:

Said Bakkar, Ph.D. affiliate assistant professor | physics

Saadia Bihmidine, Ph.D. assistant professor | biology

Amy Borja, Ph.D. affiliate assistant professor | Spanish

Erick Chastain, Ph.D. assistant professor | computer science

Fr. Stephen Gregg, O.Cist. affiliate assistant professor | English

Kevin Kambo, Ph.D. assistant professor | philosophy

Nick McAfee, Ph.D. ’22 postdoctoral teaching fellow | philosophy

Prajay Patel, Ph.D. assistant professor | chemistry

Laura Post, MFA affiliate assistant professor | art

Diego Rojas, Ph.D. affiliate assistant professor | mathematics

Leta Sundet, Ph.D. ’22 postdoctoral teaching fellow | English

James Zeller, Ph.D. ’22 writing lab director

Mark Zeske, BA ’80 affiliate instructor, director | journalism

Professor of English

Robert Scott Dupree, BA ’62, Ph.D., on the centenary celebration of T.S. Eliot’s “The Waste Land” and UD’s Literary Traditions sequence at the Cowan Archive Seminar Series, Nov. 2022.

Former chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts

Dana Gioia at the Catholic Imagination Conference, Oct. 2022.

Catholic business entrepreneur Peter Rex in his summer 2022 Veritas Dialogue discussion on virtuous leadership.

Catholic artistic imagination tends to embody either paradoxes or dynamic contrast body and soul, temporal, eternal, the physical and metaphysical worlds, sin and redemption.”

is one and the same as his act

made everything.”

University of Dallas President Jonathan J. Sanford at the fall 2022 “Piraeus Debate Series: Aquinas vs. Augustine.”

hARd WoRk bEGETS SUCCESS

UD graduates are fueling the next generation of entrepreneurs. “Our country was built on hard work and innovation,” said serial entrepreneur Dan Flaherty, BA ’83 MBA ’84, the 2022 Gupta College of Business graduation keynote. Big Mouth Billy Bass, the iconic singing largemouth bass, was among his best-selling creations.

“The works of the past form a body that we call tradition, but that tradition is reshaped every time a new and important work appears.”

“God’s act of knowing everything

of having

“Serving people is serving Jesus. Ultimately, business should be about serving people.”

“The

FIRST-GEN FoCUS CowanShillingburg Scholarship Established

By Clare Venegas

rustees, faculty and students gathered on Thursday, Nov. 17, in honor of the newly established Cowan-Shillingburg Endowed Scholarship benefiting first-generation students attending the University of Dallas.

Alumni couple Bainard and Chris Cowan named the scholarship in honor of Bainard’s parents, UD legends Donald and louise Cowan, and for Louise’s parents, Will and Ouita Shillingburg, whom Bainard described as staunch supporters of education.

As Bainard and Chris wrote about Louise’s parents, “The Shillingburgs were people of virtue, honor and bravery, knowing that when people dedicated themselves to the discipline of learning the humanities and sciences in college, they opened their minds and hearts to deeper truths and an all-important formation of their character.”

Bainard, who serves as the Louise Cowan Chair in the Humanities at UD and director of the Cowan Archive, was close to his grandparents as he grew up. “For nine years, my parents, grandparents and I formed one household in south Fort Worth, close to TCU, and I became great friends with my grandparents and am so grateful to them for their support,” Bainard recalled at the ceremony.

“Louise’s father was staunchly supportive of her determination to go to work and to go to college, and especially of her desire to launch into graduate study at Vanderbilt.”

As a young married couple with Bainard as their only child, the Cowan-Shillingburg home was filled with music, art and discussion. Louise’s love of poetry, Bainard recounted, came from his father, Donald, who came from a family of writers and lovers of literature.

“Don and Louise carried the love of learning they experienced in their family homes into their classrooms, first at TCU and then at UD, where they combined that love with a determination to offer this kind of education to everyone, no matter their background, station in life, race, creed or color,” Bainard and Chris wrote.

Chris Cowan said it was important to them to honor both the Shillingburgs and the Cowans, who made these virtues and ideals their life’s work and gave all they had to it.

“We decided the best way to honor them would be to designate the scholarship for first-generation college students, to provide assistance for those who desire this life but need a boost to achieve it,” she explained. “We want to continue helping students to find this life of the mind, soul and imagination.”

At the ceremony, senior business major Eli Cervera shared his experience as a first generation student. Matthew Spring, Ph.D., UD’s Director of Academic Success, introduced Cervera as a student leader and mentor to others who participated in the first cohort of Constantin Scholars in the summer of 2020.

“After realizing UD was the best fit and was going to equip me and set me up for success, I realized finances were going to be something I had to worry about,” Cervera said.

Cervera, who will start a 4+1 program at UD this spring, already has had multiple interviews with a number of prominent management consulting firms, and will likely have a range of options to begin his career.

“When I received that letter in the mail stating that I had my first year completely covered, due to merit, I was happy,” Cervera continued. “I realized that, one, I was capable; I learned everything [about applying for college] myself; and two, I was grateful for this opportunity because even in those moments when I was overwhelmed, embarrassed or lacking direction, I realized that somebody believed in me even when I couldn’t.”

Bainard cowan, BA ’70, Ph.D., pictured below, and his wife chris recently endowed a scholarship for firstgeneration students.

Read more at udallas.edu/ first-gen-focus photos: ud archives, jeff mcwhorter, nathan hunsinger.

Homiletics Institute Receives $1M Lilly Grant

By Clare Venegas

he Institute for Homiletics at UD was recently awarded a $1 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. to help renew liturgical preaching and better reach Catholic youth and young adults. The Institute is a collaborative endeavor of The Catholic Foundation (Dallas) and the University of Dallas.

The five-year grant will enable the Institute for Homiletics to implement the “Into Deeper Waters: Renewing Liturgical Preaching to Reach Young Catholics” initiative. The project will develop resources to respond to two pressing needs of the Catholic Church: 1) the need to improve liturgical preaching to bring people into an encounter with the living God, and 2) the need for effective preaching at Mass to reach and impact the lives of Catholic youth and young adults.

“We are just getting launched as an organization. We have high hopes,” said Karla Bellinger, D.Min, executive director of the Institute. “I am grateful to Lilly Endowment Inc. for trusting in our potential to impact Catholic liturgical preaching. The lay faithful are thoroughly convinced about the need for better preaching in the context of the Mass; they have already been generous in endowing our operations fund. They hunger for more compelling preaching — for themselves, their children and their grandchildren. This grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. will help us grow our capacity and outreach, especially in teaching priests and deacons to better connect with the young Catholic Church.”

“The University of Dallas is proud to be the home of the Institute for Homiletics and grateful to the Catholic Foundation for such a fruitful partnership,” said University of Dallas President Jonathan J. Sanford. “We are tremendously grateful as well for the Lilly Endowment’s generous support. The Institute for Homiletics is a clear example of our ongoing commitment of service to the Church, one of our key strategic priorities, and we are confident the work this grant supports will bear great fruit.”

Lilly Endowment Inc. is a private philanthropic foundation created in 1937 by J.K. lilly Sr. and his sons Eli and J.K. Jr. through gifts of stock in their pharmaceutical business, Eli Lilly and Company. The project is being funded through Lilly Endowment’s Compelling Preaching Initiative, which is part of the Endowment’s longstanding interest in supporting projects that help to nurture the religious lives of individuals and families and foster the growth and vitality of Christian congregations in the United States.

“As a Catholic university dedicated to educating young adults faithfully and excellently, we are especially attuned to the effect that good preaching and good teaching can have in drawing them more deeply into the fullness of truth,” said Sanford. “Improved preaching can inspire all Catholics, and especially the young. We hope they can encounter Jesus and the Gospel message more deeply, which will impact their lives and those around them.”

helping preachers make disciples

Karla Bellinger, executive director of the Institute for Homiletics at the University of Dallas, and Father Michael Connors, CSC, director of the John S. Marten Program in Homiletics and Liturgics at the University of Notre Dame, wrote "Remembering Why We Preach" to help improve preaching in the Catholic Church so listeners can encounter Christ and deepen their spiritual lives. The book leads participants through a process of spiritual renewal and skill development to nourish and enrich preaching skills and revive the creative energy and spiritual focus of those who preach. For those recently ordained or preaching for decades, the book explores the spiritual, pastoral and communal aspects of preaching at the heart of the Church’s work of making disciples.

"Remembering Why We Preach" can be used individually, within groups or in preaching courses. It includes reading materials for personal reflection, questions for journaling or peer-group discussions, and practical exercises to enhance skills. In addition, it offers support materials such as an outline for a peer-group meeting, a sample retreat format, and forms for homily feedback and goal setting.

"Remembering Why We Preach" is available on amazon.com

Against Values FACULTY EXCELLENCE

by Philip harold, Ph.d.

The following is the preface of “Against Values: How to Talk About the Good in a Postliberal Era,” a recently published book written by Constantin College of Liberal Arts Dean Philip Harold, published by Rowman & Littlefield Publishers.

e no longer believe in the occult power of witches. Yet witchcraft was a significant part of our past. From 1450 to 1750, it was the reason over a hundred thousand people were tortured and fifty thousand people killed. Though witch-hunts themselves were propagated by locals and not central authorities, it was the intellectual elite of Europe whose conception of and belief in witchcraft laid the intellectual foundations without which the witch-hunts could not have taken place. Scapegoating witches served an important social function, namely increasing a sense of communal unity and harmony.

Ours is a great civilization. As with the great civilizations of the past, it contains elements that will intrigue and befuddle people hundreds of years from now — especially our very serious discussions about “values.”

As with the concept of witchcraft, our intellectual elite developed the idea of “value,” which then filtered down to common people. Also like the concept of witchcraft, the problem with “value” is that it promotes social unity through exclusion. Values are always “our” values, i.e., the values defining a group. Since adhering to a value means opposing what degrades it, when it comes to values themselves we cannot discuss and argue, but only fight.

Those who believed in witchcraft did not even notice that it was a belief, but saw it as just a part of the world; as a result they were on the lookout for manifestations of it. Those who believe in values likewise never doubt their existence, and therefore fail to notice how it makes them at odds with their fellow men. But if someone contradicts our values, we must oppose them. The result of this way of thinking is to set us against each other.

Political philosophy reflects on the meaning of terminal tropes in political discourse, the fundamental expressions that undergird persuasive speech, the basic symbols that are used to orient us politically. “Value,” “fact”

and “morality” are words that come naturally to us moderns, but what do they mean? A lack of reflection on what we are saying risks mindlessly repeating ready-made language. Bad things happen when our language speaks us, rather than us speaking it. George Orwell said, “Modern stupidity is not ignorance, but the non-thought of received ideas.” He was right to maintain that languidly repeating meaningless words — a category in which he placed “values” — serves in political speech to defend the indefensible. “Often held up as a source of illumination on the most difficult questions and choices,” writes langdon Winner, “the concept of ‘values’ is better seen as a symptom of deep-seated confusion, an inability to think and talk precisely about the most basic questions of human well-being and the future of our planet.”

Philip harold is dean of the Constantin College of Liberal Arts and professor of politics. He teaches classes on politics and ethics. Harold earned a Ph.D. in politics at the Catholic University of America, and his research interests include modern political thought and American politics. He and his wife, Rachel, an art teacher, have seven children, ages 4 to 20.

It is time to put the concept of value itself in question. Failure to do so makes our discourse strange and hollow. A number of great thinkers, including martin Heidegger and Hannah arendt, have criticized the concept of value; however, these scattered critiques have yet to be turned into a sustained argument. It is difficult to do so because the language of values is intimately bound up with the very foundational assumptions of modernity. Valuation is esteem; that is to say, a flattening of what we mean when we speak of good and evil. But when everyone is pursuing esteem, conflict is inevitable. Modernity’s solution for this is the concept of sovereignty, wherein there is an “authoritative allocation of values for a society,” a realm of “politics” opposed to something called “religion,” with the concept of “morality” supposedly filling the gap between. All these terms are part of a self-reinforcing system, and we cannot critique the one without calling into question the others.

We need to get off modernity’s perpetual motion machine and put its first principles in question. The most basic political concepts are justice and the common good, and they consist not in the triumph of our “values,” but in our ability to be friends with each other.

illustration: wikimedia commons.

A lack of reflection on what we are saying risks mindlessly repeating ready-made language. Bad things happen when our language speaks us, rather than us speaking it.

NEIGHBORS

by Scott F. Crider, m.Th. ’18, Ph.d.

Remembering the Importance of Friendship and Civic Duty

Above Politics

voted in my first election in 1980 ― when Reagan beat Carter to become president ― in Sacramento, California. It must have been the first Tuesday of November. I distinctly remember signing my name into the election logbook and turning it back to the poll worker, my mom.

For all my childhood, election day was a big day, not only because of its civic importance, always noted by my parents, but also because of the household absence of my mother. She worked all day long to sign people in, give and receive their ballots, and tally the vote totals from the day’s election. Not that she was far away. The polling station was across the street from our house in the garage of a friend, the cleanest garage

in the neighborhood, whose mother ran the polling station.

Diane Crider and Kay Pike were political opposites. The Criders were then Republicans: Hollis Crider’s military experience in the USAF as a navigator encouraged him to be conservative; a labor strike had ruined my mother’s father’s trucking business, she believed, so she sided with management. The Pikes were then Democrats: David Pike’s experience in the newspaper business encouraged him to be liberal; I don’t know the origin of Kay’s liberalism. But the four of them were neighbors and friends, and although they argued when they socialized, especially after a second drink, they respected and liked one another a great deal. And

mom and Kay worked together on every election I remember as a boy, then a young man: They signed everyone in together; they gave everyone a ballot together; they counted every vote together. For that one day, the kids all knew that our mothers were as important outside the house as the fathers, who both had civically important vocations outside it in the military and journalism.

These days, I often think of my mother and her friend (and their husbands) as exemplary of a way of civic life that seems to be disappearing. They disagreed with one another; they enjoyed one another. Both houses received both Sacramento papers, The Sacramento Bee and The Sacramento Union ― the one leaning liberal, the other conservative. (David worked at the Bee.) The standard rule for guests in both houses, “Don’t discuss politics or religion,” was often forgotten but remembered often enough to find common ground in being parents, neighbors and citizens. Diane and Kay both believed in the sanctity of elections. From a very young age, I learned that election signs were not allowed within 50 yards of the polling station because, as people voted, they should be free of influence. I learned that one did not share political opinions in line when waiting to vote.

term as a child, my parents and their friends believed in the good of “pluralism.”

I am old enough to discern my youth as historical. but until very recently, i would never have believed that the ethic I learned as a boy ― friends and neighbors can disagree about all kinds of things and still be friends

When I am tempted to be so, I recall my boyhood memories of two polling station election workers quietly and heroically going about the business of a free people while their husbands protected and informed those people. Both women have passed away now, and their world ― hardly perfect given

and neighbors ― would be forgotten, that people would no longer know how to speak of and to one another as fellow citizens, that discursive silos would become walled cities, that those fellow citizens would begin to imagine one another as enemies. Of course, it was easier for Diane and Kay. Though neither was university educated, both had received good high school educations; though neither was church-going, both believed in the golden rule; though television watchers, both read widely, and there were only four channels on TV, and all news was for everyone, not for a single niche market. Our smartphones had

how much historical injustice survived into and beyond it ― seems to slip away. how many tower readers remember it? But my mother and her friend remain for me exemplars of a civic virtue always available to us, no matter what we tell ourselves to win. What is that virtue? Is it a cardinal or a Christian virtue? I think it is a modern one: the ethical and political virtue of tolerance, a virtue informing their private lives and public duties. civil discourse in the body politic begins, like so much else, in the souls of its citizens, whose common bonds of friendship and neighborliness must encourage them to tolerate a plurality of opinions to achieve the political unity that includes all its citizens.

And I learned that people can disagree about politics and yet respect and love each other.

It could not have been easy; after all, they worked together through the ’60s and ’70s, a time of significant social and political change. My father served in an unpopular war; David was active in his union. But they made it look easy. I never once doubted that that was how it was supposed to be, that you detach yourself from political passions both to maintain friendships and to participate in the highest civic activities together with people who disagree with you. Children in World War II and adults during the Cold War, all four neighbors believed only Nazis and Communists expected everyone to agree with them. Although I doubt I ever heard the

not yet made us less smart; our social media had not yet made us less social.

But it could not have been easy, and historical context does not explain everything. The truth is this: Those four friends and neighbors were virtuous. They tempered their speech prudently to serve a justice larger than their own courage of conviction; they had faith in the republic and hoped for its flourishing, while loving each other as friends. civil discourse does require a good education, and I wish with all my heart and soul every American, including UD students, had to take a logic course. But such discourse requires not only intellectual virtue but also moral. many very smart and well-educated people in our country are vicious in the service of their truth. Maybe you and I are, as well.

I am sure you have your secular saints, those whose virtue guarantees such republic-sustaining tolerance. mine are diane and kay. Even now, I can distinctly hear my mother’s voice: “Sign there, Scott.” I heard her voice again just this past November when I voted in an election many said would be violent ― it wasn’t ― in Irving, Texas at city hall, and an older, female poll worker said, “Sign there.” Even now, every day, good people through their virtues uphold the republic.

scott crider is an English professor at the University of Dallas. He has published widely on Shakespeare, rhetoric and the English Bible. His publications for the general audience include “The Office Of Assertion: An Art Of Rhetoric for the Academic Essay.”

Is it a cardinal or a Christian virtue? I think it is a modern one: the ethical and political virtue of tolerance, a virtue informing their private lives and public duties.

“Don’t discuss politics or religion” was often forgotten but remembered often enough to find common ground in being parents, neighbors and citizens.

ON THE LOST ART OF

ARGUING WITHOUT QUARRELING

Interview With President

An

Jonathan J. Sanford, Ph.

How does one cultivate civil dialogue and debate in today's culture? What place does UD occupy in higher education today? How are UD graduates different?

This edited excerpt from Anchored, a podcast produced by the Classic Learning Test (CLT) and hosted by CLT CEO Jeremy Tate, discusses these questions and more with President Jonathan J. Sanford

JT: Let's talk about the University of Dallas, one of the most popular destinations for CLT test takers. What makes this place special?

JS: That's a great question. What makes UD special is really the classroom experience. That's at the heart of it, and I sometimes think about this in terms of what's missing in our broader culture.

we do see people agitating a lot, and we see a lot of shouting past each other. We see a loss of what G.K. Chesterton calls the art of arguing without quarreling. They can't hide behind a screen. They’re engaged in a classroom where they are compelled, whether they like it or not, to offer an interpretation of “The Iliad,” offer an interpretation of Austen’s novel “Pride and Prejudice,” so you can't hide. There's a lot of writing, and we're convinced that one learns to think clearly by writing well. And one learns to write well in part through engaging in conversation with others. The tradition itself is … sometimes called an extended argument; that's what the philosopher Alasdair McIntyre refers to [as] the Western intellectual tradition, the Catholic intellectual tradition. And he's right about that. It’s a tradition of conflict. We've got Plato, who was very nervous about the influence of Homer we've got Aristotle, who rejects some of Plato’s own positions. Learning how to understand the position of your interlocutor, and being able to articulate their position, optimally even better than they do, is critically important to cultivating this art of arguing without quarreling.

In addition to all kinds of other clubs and activities we have, at the heart of the University of Dallas is its Catholicism and shared liturgy. We've got masses every day, a cistercian monastery nearby, a dominican priory on campus and a minor seminary for the diocese. We're building a convent for the Nashville Dominicans who teach for us. So, all of these different currents … are flowing into the university. The divine liturgy is at the heart of it, but … the place is unified [around] intellectual formation.

JT: [From] a lot of the parents we connect with at CLT, we hear an overall frustration with … the loss of Catholic identity, also [a lack of] any kind of a serious core curriculum. How has UD been able to, from an outsider perspective, at least, avoid mission drift?

JS: I would say that perspective is accurate. We've avoided mission drift by saying no to some things. It's hard to fit certain degree programs into a four-year structure if you have a two-year, integrated Core Curriculum, and that's just a bullet we're happy to bite. ... It's what makes us distinctive in part, but it means that if you want to be a nurse, we've got a pathway for you to work with another university to become a nurse through being a biology major here, but there will be additional coursework beyond what you would typically complete within four years. Similarly, we've got four-plus-one arrangements for engineering.

Our most popular undergraduate major for the first two years is what we call undeclared. … We've got a lot of seekers. That might seem counterproductive, but here [they can] explore the full array of disciplines, see what is really attractive, what they want to dig into and major in.

JT: I want to hear a little bit about this Rome program, because it is one of the most epic study abroad opportunities. It sounds like most students do it.

JS: Over 80% of our students [participate in the Rome semester abroad], and I would love to see 100% of our students do it. The program is unique in a lot of ways. One of those ways is that the coursework there is part of the Core Curriculum itself. You're just outside of Rome, so Europe becomes a humanities laboratory, so to speak. The eternal city is the eternal city for a reason, right? It's where Athens and Jerusalem converge in a particular way.

JT: Let's talk about the graduate program … especially for teachers who really want to master the craft of being a great teacher in a classical school. Can you tell us a little bit about the mission and the focus of the program?

JS: The program is designed to take one's education to the next level. It is very popular with teachers. We’ve seen enormous growth there over the last five years, and it's born from our Braniff Graduate School of Liberal Arts, where we hold Ph.D. programs in philosophy, politics and literature, and many other master's programs. That graduate school has always been an incubator of new ideas, and one of the founders is Louise Cowan, the great literature professor. She saw graduate school as providing an opportunity to teach the teachers.

JT: One of the virtues or the great things about UD is that it doesn’t seem to change when everything else seems to be changing. But what is your vision for the next five or ten years in leading the university? What place do you hope UD occupies in American higher ed in the future?

JS: I would say UD has changed in some ways. We’re much more deliberate about finding ways for students to land internships, to explore career options. It’s become a great priority of this university to make sure that we do everything we can so that students can land on their feet. A great number of our students do go on to graduate studies. for instance, we've got exceptionally high medical school placement rates and law school placement rates.

The University of Dallas, I'm convinced, is the best Catholic liberal arts university. We provide the paradigm. There's something about the curriculum, the level of the commitment of our faculty to their disciplines that fosters a sense of wanting to do great things for the greater glory of God, and that translates into wanting to sanctify your life of work through applying the gifts that you have, the education that you have received. Our graduates rise quickly within corporations, or become attorneys of real significance … they are not just Catholic doctors, but the best doctors who are Catholic as well.

This goal of being really excellent in all that you do, how you raise your family, how you build up your community, that’s fostered by the education we provide. It's very much a part of our DNA, and I do think it is one of the distinguishing features of the University of Dallas.

God in the Looking Glass

By Shannon Valenzuela, BA ’00, Ph.D.

hen you look in the mirror, what do you see? Or, the better question is, whom do you see? We’re perhaps all familiar with the famous line from St. Paul’s letter to the Corinthians: “We see now through a glass darkly; but then face to face. Now I know in part; but then I shall know even as I am known” (1 Cor. 13:12). The phrase which we translate variously as “darkly” or “in a dark manner” is in enigmate in the Vulgate. An “enigma” is a riddle — something obscure and inexplicable, mysterious and mystical.

St. Paul suggests God is a mystery to us in this life. He also reminds us that the deepest desire of our hearts is to see Him “face to face”: to enter into a communion of knowledge in which there is no veil between knowing and being known. But we aren’t there yet. We gaze in the mirror, and we struggle to see clearly.

In his commentary on this line from Corinthians, St. Thomas aquinas offers us some insight into the ways we come to know God in this life:

[...] we know God in this life, inasmuch as we know the invisible things of God through creatures, as it says in Rom (1:20). And so all creation is a mirror for us; because from the order and goodness and multitude which are caused in things by God, we come to a knowledge of His power, goodness and eminence. And this knowledge is called seeing in a mirror.1

We can come to know God through His creation, most especially through creatures He made in His image: one another.

And here’s a lovely sort of paradox for us to meditate on — another enigma, if you will. We know that we are made in the image and likeness of God. But St. Catherine of Siena invites us to marvel at the fact that, in His Incarnation, God chooses to become our image: “We are your image, and now by making yourself one with us, you have become our image, veiling your eternal divinity in the wretched cloud and dung heap of Adam. And why? For love! You, God, became human and we have been made divine!” 2

An enigma indeed! And so I return to my opening question: when you look in the mirror, whom do you see?

Let’s take this one step further and connect St. Thomas’s observation with St. Catherine’s by means of the poet Gerard manley Hopkins. We come to know God in this life through creatures — and through His Incarnation, God has taken on a human face. And so, when we look at one another, as Hopkins says, we should see Christ, “for Christ plays in ten thousand places, / Lovely in limbs, and lovely in eyes not his / To the Father through the features of men’s faces.” 3

The entire purpose of the Living the Quest interview series is to help us see in ourselves and in one another the light of Christ. These stories of courage, faith, hope and love take us through very real and very human struggles large and small: from job loss to chronic illness, from depression to genocide. Each story is intensely personal, but each one invites us to consider more deeply how we encounter God in the most difficult moments of our lives and offers us a glimpse of courage for the working-day world.

In the Gospel of St. John, Christ says, “I am the light of the world: he that follows me walks not in darkness, but shall have the light of life” (John 8:12). In the Gospel of St. matthew, Christ turns the mirror around: “You are the light of the world. A city seated on a mountain cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle and put it under a bushel, but upon a candlestick, that it may shine to all that are in the house. So let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven” (Matt. 5:14-15). Christ is the light of the world, and we are called to mirror that light.

1 St. Thomas Aquinas.

“Commentary on the Letters of St. Paul to the Corinthians.” Trans. Fr. Paul Larcher, O.P. Lander, WY: The Aquinas Institute for the Study of Sacred Doctrine. 302. 2 St. Catherine of Siena: “The Dialogue.” Trans. Suzanne Noffke. Mahwah, NJ: Paulist, 1980. 50. 3 Gerard Manley Hopkins. “When Kingfishers Catch Fire.” Lines 12-14.

In The Divine Comedy, Dante uses this metaphor of mirrors and light to explain the amplification of love in Heaven: “That Good, ineffable and infinite, / which is above, directs Itself toward love / as light directs Itself to polished bodies. / Where ardor is, that Good gives of Itself … / And when there are more souls above who love, … mirror-like, each soul reflects the other” (Purg. 15.67-75). Every soul is a mirror of the light and love of God, and the more polished our mirror, the more we can reflect that light for others.

As Fr. mike Schmitz said in his homily on All Saints’ Day at the Good News Retreat in Phoenix last fall, saints are those who say “yes” to God, and never stop saying “yes.” Each of the guests on the Living the Quest podcast reminds us that we’re not walking this journey alone. We may not be able to see God “faceto-face” in this life, but we can be reflections of His light and love for one another.

So, the next time you stop in front of a mirror, see God in the looking-glass — and then let your face be His mirror for everyone you meet.

shannon valenzuela is an affiliate assistant professor of English and the content director for the Liberal Learning for Life Program at UD. She is the writer and director of “The Quest”, an EWTN limited series produced by UD about discovering one’s purpose and living it with courage.

Ud professor Brings socratic dialogUe to the mic

by michael West, Ph.d., bA ’06

I love reading books, but I started a podcast because of Plato. In Plato’s “Phaedrus,” Socrates observes a downside of anything written down: If you want to ask “about anything in hopes of learning something, the words signify only one thing, and always the same thing.” In other words, a book can’t have a conversation with you. But a person can.

It was that desire to ask questions and hear the answers of real, live human beings that prompted the creation of the Liberal Learning for Life Podcast in 2020. There are now over 40 episodes, and each one features a compelling, pithy and rich conversation with a UD friend or faculty. And almost all are under 30 minutes.

A student of mine once summarized Socrates’ point about writing this way: “Wisdom is found in the person, not the book.” I invite you to listen to an episode of the Liberal Learning for Life podcast and judge the truth of that statement for yourself.

Suggested conversations:

I want to think deeply about a concept, like they do in Platonic dialogues:

“What Patriotism Is and Isn’t” with David Upham, MA ’00 Ph.D. ’02, associate professor of politics udallas.edu/what-is-patriotism

“What Is a Virtue?” with Angela Knobel, Ph.D., associate professor of philosophy

udallas.edu/what-is-virtue

I want to have free and open discussions with my neighbors:

“Truth and Tribe” with Philip Harold, Ph.D., professor of politics and dean of Constantin College of Liberal Arts udallas.edu/truth-and-tribe

I want to learn more about Shakespeare:

“Shakespeare, Rhetoric, and the Ends of Human Life” with Scott Crider, M.Th. ’18, Ph.D. udallas.edu/ends-of-human-life

PLAtONIc PODcASt

We can come to know God through His creation, most especially through creatures He made in His image: one another.

The Winningest Coach in UD History

By Belynn Hollers, BA ’21

avid Hoffmann, UD men’s soccer coach since 2003, became the winningest coach in UD history with his 161st win last year, surpassing the record held by Rich Gaffney, former athletic director and baseball coach. Under his leadership, the soccer team holds the record for 33 consecutive home games and games without a single loss from 2005 to 2008. Hoffman’s success is measured not just in wins but also by his training of the human person. His coaching style is involved, and his unique personality far surpasses the office he holds. With 164 wins as of this fall, we spoke with Hoffmann to further understand his philosophy around coaching.

What is your background in athletics?

Growing up, I played a lot of sports: baseball, basketball, football, and track and field. After college, I even played some volleyball at a competitive level, but soccer was always the primary sport. My playing background includes state champion, state all-stars and the Olympic development program. I also had offers to go abroad and play professionally as early as 16.

Read more at udallas.edu/

Where did you attend college? Did you play at the collegiate level?

I chose to play at the university level because I had an academic interest, which I ultimately pursued at St. Mary’s in San Antonio. St. Mary’s struck a better academic balance with the athletic piece. After I graduated from the university level, I was admitted to Ph.D. programs, one in molecular neurobiology and another in genetics, and I had the opportunity to go to medical school. I also still had the chance to play in Europe and Mexico.

What’s your philosophy for training student athletes?

I’m interested in the holistic development of the person. To a degree, the gravitas of the coaching position affords me a platform or a podium to speak to these kids. To me, there’s a lot of synergy between being successful in life and being successful on the field.

Why do you think you’ve had so much success during your tenure?

Honestly, what made it happen is the kids. When things were bumpy, they stuck together and really allowed themselves to develop. My wife and I try to invest in these guys. What is cool is that we have now been to 21 weddings of former kids. My daughter was even a flower girl, and my son was a ringbearer for one of our former players. That means a lot.

Hoffmann has served on the NCAA Regional Selection Committee and NCAA National Leadership Conference, and he has lectured at the NISOA National Referee Assignors convention. He’s also been published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research for a paper titled “Intensity and Duration of Intermittent Exercise and Recovery During a Soccer Match” with Dr. Michael Orenduff et al. in 2010.

Hoffmann is married to Tricia and lives in Highland Village with their daughter, Trinity, and sons, Beckett and Keane.

A Crusader in action during a game against Howard Payne.

winningestcoach

AN UNExPECTEd PARTy

A Student’s-Eye View of the Catholic Imagination Conference

By Elise A. M. Williams, BA ’23

.R.R. Tolkien begins “The Hobbit” with “An Unexpected Party” of dwarves who descend upon a frantic Bilbo Baggins and unpleasantly surprise him with a quest. In its good cheer and friendship, the Catholic Imagination Conference held at the University of Dallas on Sept. 30 was the best kind of unexpected party. Over 250 attendees from across the country, and many more familiar faces from UD’s faculty, staff and student body, participated in the two-day conference of workshops and lectures.

I experienced the conference as a student volunteer, welcoming visitors to the UD campus, and as one of the presenters, reading my best poetry works for the first time publicly. A wonderfully weird maze of books took over the Braniff foyer during the Future of the Catholic Literary Imagination Conference, introducing me to the strange, surprising and exciting nature of contemporary Catholic literature. From murder mysteries to conversion memoirs, pandemic poetry collections to parenting books, essays on G.K. Chesterton to ghost stories — no genre seemed to be off limits for these writers, and the diversity of the books testified to a truly “catholic,” i.e., “universal,” approach to literature.

Despite the usual disorder of a conference and the added chaos of a campus power outage Saturday morning, there was an unshakeable joy among the conference participants. From casual coffee chats to crowded lectures to staged performances, participants were thrilled to be part of a community that appreciates the faith which informs their art. The Future of the Catholic Literary Imagination Conference was a truly unique experience. I am immensely grateful for being part of it as a University of Dallas student, a volunteer and a young Catholic writer.

writers, artists converge for cic

The biennial Catholic Imagination Conference (CIC), founded by poet Dana Gioia in 2015, brings together a community of Catholics who share a love for the arts. Following Fordham and Loyola University, the CIC returned in new form at the University of Dallas last fall.

This was the first conference that presented more creative writers than scholars. Novelists at the event included Uwem Akpan, Ron Hansen, Glenn Arbery, Ph.D. ’82, and Harper’s Magazine editor Christopher Beha

“Contemporary culture is hostile to the imagination in general. Reality is seen as a set of facts transparently available,” Beha said. “But the sacramental view is that reality is something we are participating in, and so is God. Reality is strange and surprising and can’t always be assimilated into our existing context.”

The conference also featured two days of readings, workshops, panels of literary luminaries, jazz performance based on Gioia’s poetry and a staged reading of Will Arbery’s play “Heroes of the Fourth Turning,” directed by UD Associate Professor Stefan Novinski and called “stunning” by author Amy Welborn Envisioning an experience on campus rather than in a hotel, conference director Jessica Hooten Wilson, UD’s 2021-22 Louise Cowan Scholar-in-Residence, slated the events in UD’s own halls and classrooms.

Unlike typical academic conferences, this one offered a widely accessible message, said UD Professor of Literature Bainard Cowan, BA ’70, Ph.D. “This conference required all participants to ask how what they do stimulates imagination,” Cowan observed. “This is important for the humanities to survive. It’s important for American culture. It was mind-opening and heart-opening.”

RENEWING A CUlTURE oF lIFE

How a UD Education Helped Reverse Roe v. Wade

By Clare Venegas

he theme of Jonathan J. Sanford’s inaugural year as UD’s 10th president — Arete: Renewing Culture through Educational Excellence — belies a bold premise: that culture can be renewed through education.

Whether in law, politics, education, business or service to the Church, evidence abounds of ways in which University of Dallas alumni, by virtue of the unique liberal arts education they receive, can be catalysts for cultural change.

Case in point: two UD alumni at the forefront of reversing Roe v. Wade through the recently decided Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization Supreme Court case.

For both Jameson Taylor, MA ’98, Ph.D. ’07, a politics graduate, Mississippi lobbyist and president of the Center for Political Renewal, and Kellie Fiedorek, BA ’06, a theology alumna and Washington, D.C., attorney at the public interest law firm Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), the education they received at UD was pivotal to finding their vocations and the work they’re doing now — leading to their crucial roles in launching Dobbs, the proverbial pebble that toppled Roe.

Jameson Taylor earned his Ph.D. in politics from UD’s Braniff Graduate School of Liberal Arts after obtaining his bachelor’s from a “little Ivy” liberal arts college in New England. But it wasn’t until he began his graduate studies at UD that he realized how much he hadn’t learned.

“It wasn’t just studying Plato and aquinas, but having the freedom of studying the great thinkers in the Western tradition who have different views, like Nietzsche and machiavelli. This prepares you to enter into productive dialogue with different people,” Taylor said.

After graduating from the University of Dallas, Taylor began working for a large national pro-life organization outside of Washington, D.C. But it was his work at state-based public policy think tanks where Taylor realized the tremendous impact states could have on national issues.

“It’s really at the state level where big ideas start,” he said. Since moving to Mississippi, he has been focused on life, family and religious freedom issues.

He noted, “As a lobbyist I work with a lot of different people with a lot of different views. Because of my education at UD, I don’t bring any idealism to the job, but have been very realistic about what can be accomplished in the political realm. I got that from reading Plato’s ‘Republic.’”

Taylor saw an opportunity “to do something big” in Mississippi on the pro-life issue leading into the 2018 legislative session.

He consulted with Kellie Fiedorek, whose work with Alliance Defending Freedom is committed to defending religious freedom, free speech, marriage and the family, parental rights and the sanctity of life.

Fiedorek began as a politics major, but switched to theology after her Rome semester. As graduation loomed closer, “I felt God calling me to pursue a vocation in law and to use my law degree to advance something I’d always been passionate about: upholding the dignity of women, the dignity of the unborn, the dignity of the family — something UD really confirmed the Lord was calling me to advocate for.”

She added that while it is good so much of the prolife movement’s focus had been on the unborn child, she really wanted to approach the issue holistically with a greater focus on a culture that empowers women and celebrates motherhood. “Society unfairly tells women that they need abortions to be successful. That’s demeaning and untrue. I wanted to use my education to not only build a society that cherishes the unborn and ensures women have greater access to the support they deserve during pregnancy, but one that embraces and values women and motherhood and implements support systems that empower women to pursue full and flourishing lives for themselves and their families long after the baby is born.”

After graduating from Ave Maria Law School in 2009, she began at ADF in 2012. In 2017, ADF invited key allies in the pro-life movement to come together and look at legal strategies, given where the court was then, to best challenge Roe v. Wade.

“In Roe v. Wade, the Court demeaned women’s dignity by saying motherhood ‘forced’ on us a ‘distressful life and future.’ That ruling was a shameful and dehumanizing characterization of the role women and mothers hold in society,” Fiedorek said.

Joining Forces

The two alumni worked with other attorneys at ADF to craft House Bill 1510, which made abortion illegal in Mississippi after 15 weeks of gestation.

Taylor credits a confluence of factors for the bill's success: willing legislators to sponsor the bill, willing leadership in the state house, and a strong, pro-life governor. Also critical was Taylor’s work in building grassroots support, gaining the trust of a broad coalition of churches from diverse faith backgrounds who recognized the importance of being active in politics and could set aside theological differences to unite on issues.

“It was at UD where I learned how to dialogue with people who have different thoughts and beliefs,” Taylor said.

Faith Throughout

Still, Taylor’s Catholic faith is essential to his work in the public square. During the votes on the bill, Taylor would walk around the capitol in prayer, calling on extra prayer support during key moments.

“When the Dobbs case was stuck before the Supreme Court for almost a year, I had moved on to other work,” Taylor recounted. “I just thought the Court wouldn’t take it up. But then I was inspired to call up the Sisters of Life and ask them to pray that the Court would take up the case, and literally, one month to the day, the Court announced they would.”

“God’s faithfulness has been so evident throughout the Dobbs case,” Fiedorek said. “He put exactly the right people at the right time to see His will done. I learned at UD from so many amazing professors, but something Fr. James lehrberger told me that has

stUdents welcome task to ‘reBUild a cUltUre of life’

by Isaiah E. mitchell

Even before the Supreme Court reversed Roe v. Wade, UD students were working to create a pro-life campus. Thanks to the generosity of many, the student group Crusaders for Life recently launched a $5,000 scholarship to assist UD students who are either pregnant or parenting a child. Along with the fund, the club organizes baby showers and supply drives for expecting students with the help of supportive professors.

Additionally, as Dobbs ended federal protection for abortion, it jumpstarted new projects for the University of Dallas community.

Read more at udallas.edu/aculture-of-life.

“Now that abortion is no longer the law of the land, we can begin to truly rebuild a culture of life,” Larissa Tuttle wrote in The Cor Chronicle. “Much of this is accomplished through explicitly pro-life initiatives, such as supporting crisis pregnancy centers, raising awareness about safe haven laws and educating ourselves and others on pro-life apologetics and fetal development.”

Students aren’t the only members of the UD community taking up these initiatives. As a Strategic Partnerships Advisor for Students for Life of America, Erin Quinn, BA ’21, continues the work that she began as a volunteer in college, crediting UD’s culture of faith.

“Faith was not a factor for me until college,” Quinn told The Cor Chronicle last year. “For most people, it’s the opposite. Coming to UD and seeing pretty much everyone going to mass every day shocked me into the reality that I needed to put my faith before anything else.”

LIFE AFtER ROE

Stories of Leadership

The author: Jim Webb, MBA ’84, Ph.D., attended West Point, graduated with honors from Ranger School and earned the coveted Green Beret. His diverse career includes roles as a strategy consultant, a chief strategist of two global corporations, and running a $6 billion pension fund. The former national judo champion and director of the US Olympic Committee’s National Governing Body is a noted scholar of Sherlock Holmes and is currently a professor at Southern Methodist University.

Publisher: Self-published, 2022

In a Nutshell: In a compilation of fascinating stories, Jim Webb shares a view of visionary leaders, focusing on financier J.P. morgan and Japan’s Jigoro Kano, who defied the odds to create extraordinary, lasting results in diverse environments.

Start Reading: Buy the book at amazon.com

The Handsome Little Cygnet

The author: matthew mehan earned his BA in politics, MA in English and Ph.D. in literature from the University of Dallas. He is the director of academic programs for Hillsdale College in Washington, D.C., and he currently teaches history of Western thought, U.S. history and American literature at The Heights School.

Publisher: Tan Books, 2021

In a Nutshell: Manhattan’s Central Park seems an unlikely place for a family of swans to raise their baby cygnet, but family life is full of surprises, happy mistakes and mysterious joys. Smile a lot — and cry just a little — as you follow the journey of a baby swan who grows up to learn what and who he is.

Start Reading: Buy the book at tanbooks.com

Finding Freedom

The author: mary Stanford, BA ’97, is a speaker, teacher and writer on Catholic marriage and family life. She is an adjunct professor at Christendom College and has a master’s degree in theological studies from the Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family. She and her husband Trey have seven children.

Publisher: Our Sunday Visitor, 2022

In a Nutshell: Mary Stanford discusses how obedience liberates relationships between husband and wife. Understanding obedience as the complimentary reception of a gift unveils its unique potential to free us and bring about a more profound spiritual union between human and divine persons.

Start Reading: Buy the book at amazon.com

photos: courtesy of matthew mehan, kim leeson, jeff mcwhorter.

FACUlTy ExCEllENCE

Advancing Scholarship

Advancing knowledge through scholarly work is a key tenet of faculty excellence. These are a selection of recent publications.

1 author: Christopher V. mirus is associate professor of philosophy at UD.

Publication: Being is Better Than Not Being: The Metaphysics of Goodness and Beauty in Aristotle (Catholic University of America Press, Aug. 2022).

Summary: In his contemplative works on nature, aristotle twice appeals to the general principle that being is better than not being. Taking his cue from this claim, Mirus offers an extended, systematic account of how Aristotle understands being itself to be good.

2 author: Cynthia R. Nielsen is an American philosopher and associate professor of philosophy at the University of Dallas. She is known for her expertise in the field of hermeneutics, the philosophy of music, aesthetics, ethics and social philosophy.

Publication: Gadamer’s Hermeneutical Aesthetics: Art as a Performative, Dynamic, Communal Event (Routledge, Oct. 14, 2022)

Summary: This book offers a sustained scholarly analysis of Gadamer’s reflections on art and our experience of art. It examines fundamental themes in Gadamer’s hermeneutical aesthetics such as play, festival, symbol, contemporaneity, enactment, art’s performative ontology and hermeneutical identity.

3 author: Bernadette Waterman Ward, Ph.D., is associate professor of English at UD. She is the author of World as Word: Philosophical Theology in Gerard Manley Hopkins (Catholic University of America, 2002) and dozens of articles on both 19th century British and 20th century American writers.

Publication: Eliot’s Angels: George Eliot, Rene Girard, and Mimetic Desire (Notre Dame Press, 2022)

Summary: Using the work of her mentor, 1994 McDermott Lecturer René Girard, Bernadette Waterman Ward examines George Eliot’s short fiction and narrative poetry novels in her latest book, Eliot’s Angels: George Eliot, Rene Girard, and Mimetic Desire (Notre Dame Press, 2022). The book offers an original rereading of Eliot's work by investigating religious yearning and mimetic social mechanisms as Eliot faces them in life and fiction.

4 author: The late Robert E. Wood was distinguished professor emeritus of philosophy at the University of Dallas and the author of The Beautiful and the Good: Studies in the History of Thought and Being and the Cosmos: From Seeing to Indwelling (both CUA Press). After nearly 40 years at UD, Wood retired at the age of 83 and passed away on Feb. 10; see In Memoriam on pg. 31.

Publication: Being Human: Philosophical Anthropology through Phenomenology (CUA Press Jan. 2023)

Summary: The usual methods of philosophy are important, but they generally take place within the structure of experience. The field of experience has been too often ignored, usually for conjecture as to how our ordinary categories might have to adapt to advancing neurophysiology. Before conjecturing about possible explanations, Wood argues we must first come to terms with what it means to seek explanation, what a “who” is that seeks it, and why it is sought.

Excerpts from an article by a former classical philology major at UD, Daniel Orazio, who is currently a student in the Department of Christian and Classical Letters at the Pontifical Salesian University in Rome, Italy.

wo brothers, Fr. David, BA ’13, and Fr. Edgar Ramirez, BA ’17, both University of Dallas alumni, were ordained priests in May 2022. Fr. David and Fr. Edgar, along with their two sisters, Sandra (allen), BA ’09, and Deana, BA ’19, were reared by parents who “were always faithful in taking us to Mass every

Sunday and Holy Day of Obligation, and in teaching us the Faith,” according to Fr. Edgar. Their “example of virtue, of hard work, and of generosity toward others and toward the Church,” Fr. David believes, “helped teach us how to live as Catholics.”

Fr. Edgar felt called to the priesthood at a very early age, though he did not begin a “serious” discernment until he was about 15. Fr. David, meanwhile, traces the discovery of a call to his college years, especially to his “time spent in prayer in the adoration chapel at UD.” Fr. David also cites the positive influence of UD’s Dominicans and Cistercians, of msgr. Thomas Fucinaro and Fr. Rudy Garcia, and of the nearby Opus Dei priests.

Both brothers selected Our Lady of Guadalupe Seminary. They processed side by side at the North American Martyrs Church on May 27, 2022. The next morning the new priests celebrated their first Masses at St. Francis of Assisi in Lincoln, Nebraska. Fr. David served Mass at 8 a.m., and Fr. Edgar served Mass at 10 a.m.

The brothers find it “amazing” and “a tremendous blessing” to be ordained together. However, they will live out their vocations apart. Fr. David is serving at Mater Dei in Irving, while Fr. Edgar is ministering at Our Lady of Sorrows in Springdale, Ark.

Read more at udallas.edu/ fathers-ramirez

Two Brothers BECOME PRIESTS

PITChING SUCCESS Ruggers, Meet Cinderella

orged through a brotherhood that has garnered affection and popularity among the entire student body since its inception more than three decades ago, the University of Dallas Football Rugby Club finished an undefeated regular season (8-0) in 2022 with a berth in the National Division 2 Championship — a first in university history.

UD’s rugby team, aka the “Hoggies,” competed head-tohead in their qualifying game against Norco Community College in April 2022. Faithful University of Dallas fans packed the sidelines before they knew there would be a 57-28 loss at nationals.

Though the Hoggies strive to bring pride to UD by winning every match, few clubs are more aware that athletic success is marked more by a love of the game than by wins, losses or individual accolades.

“It was great to see UD’s success in rugby last year. That is because rugby is central to UD's identity,” said alumnus winger Sean mcCrory, BA ’08, a UD National Alumni Board member.

“Never give up” was the mindset behind the Hoggies’ playbook to success, according to Carlos Gomez, BA ’22 MBA ’23, who shared his post-season analysis with The Cor Chronicle.

“We put in the work all season. We’ve played huge teams, and being the smaller guys, it’s a David and Goliath situation,” said Gomez. “We came out here and put it to the grind. … We always play our hearts out.”

Going where no Hoggies have gone before, the team placed fourth overall in the Lonestar Conference across all divisions, closing out the best season on record as the second place D2 team in the nation.

“Rugby is a unique sport that builds virtues such as bravery, magnanimity and — surprisingly for such a rough game — courtesy,” said McCrory, who also founded the nearby Las Colinas Rugby Football Club, the Irving home pitch to a strong contingent of mostly UD alumni and families. What’s more, the formation of such virtues and character goes “hand in hand with a UD education,” he continued.

The Hoggies’ impressive 2022 performance on the

Peter t. Kennedy, BA ’12, coined a mid-season tribute honoring the team’s success. “Let the Rugger again fly / Then stop the toss: Advance defy,” he wrote, before ending, “Our mascot proud: The noble woodchuck / Cheers to sport, and with you: Good luck.”

Alumni & Family Weekend

The campus was brimming with excitement as a record number of alumni and families reconnected at the 2022 Alumni & Family Weekend this past October.

The event was jam-packed with social events, lectures, an alumni business fair, student performances, open classrooms, debates, activities for the kids, and so much more.

We are deeply grateful to the sponsors who stepped up to make it such a special event. These included current and former members of UD’s National alumni Board as well as monica, BA ’07, and Carlo molano, BA ’06, and ashley, BA ’12 MBA ’14, and Dan Streett, BA ’12.

photos: jason anderson, nathan hunsinger.

ToGEThER AGAIN

Mark your calendars for Sept. 29-Oct. 1, 2023. See you at our next Alumni & Family Weekend!

1 - The Golden Crusaders dinner was a special celebration for alumni who graduated 50 or more years ago.

2 - More than 27 alumni-owned businesses participated in the second Annual Alumni & Family Weekend Business Festival.

3 - The alumni versus UD students rugby match is a great tradition.

4 - The alumni band, Extraordinary Rendition, led by alex Zeb, BA ’15, entertained alumni and families on the Mall.

5 - President Jonathan and Mrs. Rebecca Sanford enjoy time with alumni and families during the Alumni & Family Weekend.

6 - The Class of 2012 celebrated their 10-year reunion in a big way! Special thanks to Class Agent Stevie Watley, BA ’12.

7 - Class agents and regional representatives received thanks from President Sanford for their commitment of time and energy to the University of Dallas at a hosted lunch.

8 - UD deans met with alumni and families over cold brew at the Cap Bar.

9 - Alumni and parents participated in core classes.

10 - The Spring Romers versus Fall Romers debate was finally resolved at the Rathskeller.

11 - Alumni and families enjoyed dinner alfresco on the Mall.

12 - anne Judge, BA ’02, madison milliken, BA ’11 MBA ’15, and Danielle milliken, BA ’10 MBA ’13, attended a special breakfast with President Sanford and presentation from UD student aubrey Weiberg, BA ’24. The event was held for members of the Legacy Society to thank them for their generosity and foresight in securing UD’s future through their planned gifts.

BY thE NUmBERS

OUTCOMES StUDENt

Cultivating Career Success

How can UD’s robust liberal arts education translate into finding one’s vocation and future career success? In this Q&A, Shannon Blatt, MA ’14, senior director of the Office of Personal Career Development (OPCD), discusses what employers find attractive about UD graduates and the many resources available to students to explore various career paths.

What resources are available to students through OPCD?

93%

What are the best ways for students to find internships or for graduating seniors to find jobs?

Students should use all the resources available when seeking jobs or internships. First, students should visit an OPCD career advisor for resume support, LinkedIn reviews and job search recommendations. Next, students should check out Handshake, a job and internship posting platform that connects students with companies vetted by our staff. Finally, students should read OPCD’s weekly newsletter, where we communicate many opportunities from alumni business owners and friends of UD.

We help students explore their vocation and build the skills they need to become successful candidates for jobs, internships and graduate programs. We do this through oneon-one career coaching, hosting workshops and informational sessions with experts and employers, and connecting students to alumni mentors.

How does UD’s liberal arts education help graduates stand out with employers?

Employers continue to tell us that they are less concerned with a student’s major than with that student’s ability to think critically, collaborate and communicate. UD students are uniquely qualified to do all three because of UD’s Core Curriculum. The ability to communicate complex ideas clearly and concisely is the foundation of almost any job. The volume of academic writing that UD students complete through the Core sets them apart from candidates who don’t have exposure to these habits of mind.

How can alumni help students who are seeking work opportunities?

We recommend that students reach out to alumni via LinkedIn or email when seeking career advice from an alumnus who works in a particular field or company. Alumni can help this process by being responsive to students and meeting with them to share their wisdom and insights. Alumni can also contact OPCD when either they or their company has job or internship opportunities that would be appropriate for UD students.

What are some new initiatives the OPCD is focused on in the coming year?

Our team focuses on helping students explore their vocation — where their deep happiness and the worlds’ deep needs meet. This is the first step in a rewarding and successful career. In addition, OPCD provides multiple opportunities for students to gain skills that help make them competitive candidates for job and internship opportunities.

photos: jeff mcwhorter, vasile chiriac, ken starzer, aaron claycomb.

ThINk FoR ThE FUTURE

WINE ANd dINE

Harvest a Labor of Love

by Aaron Claycomb

pon their arrival to UD’s Eugene Constantin Campus, every Rome student is quickly introduced to the naturally woven beauty of Italian culture, where the table is the heart of every home. A large, round mosaic table overlooking the vineyard offers one such popular outdoor gathering space, where a big holm-oak shades the sun, and nearby, the olive grove yields virgin olive oil used for delectable campus meals.

Whether salivating over homemade pizza freshly baking in the forno — the outdoor wood oven and grill — or devouring spaghetti alla carbonara in the Mensa, these moments of family and community are essential components of the UD Rome experience.

A popular vintage of choice for dinner? The 2020 Due Santi Rosso. “Some Americans might scoff at a cheesy pasta with a dry red wine, but I can assure you the Italians mix and match,” attests Benjamin Gibbs, BA ’15 MBA ’18, former student affairs director in Rome.

The rich foothills beneath campus produce a bountiful harvest each fall during what is called the vendemmia, or grape harvest, where students handpick merlot and cabernet sauvignon grapes from the vineyard.

Associate Professor of English andrew Osborn, Ph.D., recounts this experience of UD Rome students in “The Harvest,” a poem he penned in reference to aeschylus’ “Eumenides,” the epic Greek tragedy. “We were bad surgeons about it to be sure,” he writes. “Our fingers, viscid, Merlot-purple-stained, faltered and groped like that logy Fury chorus at Delphi, urging itself up from the dream.” Shortly thereafter, he continues, “We’d swarmed out into the honest light and loved the fun demands of La Vendemmia as the sun’s lavish attention ripened every color.”

“The Rosso is perfect with thick steaks, pasta with red sauces, roasted chicken and even Sunday roasts,” offers alumnus michael Housewright, BA ’96. “The 2021 Rosato sings with salads, seafood pasta and highly seasoned meats like fajitas or Vietnamese pork chops.”

tRANSLAtING FOOD

1 “Both of these wines are the best we have produced, and while the Rosato is not typically considered a wine to age, it will drink well for several years,” says housewright. “The 2020 Rosso will drink beautifully now with some air, and will age gracefully for at least a decade.”

2 special offer: Enjoy a taste of Rome with your next Italianinspired dish and receive 15% off plus free shipping when you order three or more bottles of Due Santi Wines using the promo code udtower at cellarbrowser.com.

new

alUmnUsowned monaco Brings eUropean cUisine to irving

by Isaiah E. mitchell

Irving entrepreneur David Lamberti, BA ’01, says he uses his degree every day. But the founder of the swank Las Colinas restaurant Monaco didn’t major in business. Lamberti studied French, Spanish and medieval Europe before pouring his heritage and knowledge into his restaurants.

Lamberti has served small-batch Italian cuisine at Lamberti’s Ristorante and Wine Bar in Irving since 2017. Monaco, his newest venture, takes inspiration from Italy, Portugal and the French Riviera. Overlooking the Lake Carolyn waterfront with other UD haunts, Monaco’s doors open on a classy art deco style — bistro stripes and barrel vaults — with a menu that shows a warm familiarity with the Mediterranean. Lamberti said his interest in translation informed the food and theme of Monaco. Along with the actual translation of certain menu items, the restaurant treats food the same way, rendering foreign ideas in local terms.

“We’re fully Irving and fully Texas and, at the same time, fully inspired by European [cuisine],” Lamberti said.

Monaco features UD flavor as well. Due Santi wine is sold by the bottle, and several owners alongside Lamberti are UD alums. Instead of using the typical trays or folders, waiters present the check in a book. The library includes books by C.S. Lewis, Joseph Conrad and other staff favorites.

Lamberti also heads the upcoming DFW Italian Festival, slated for November, which will contribute funds to UD’s new Enrica Ponti Zocchi and Aldo Zocchi Scholarship Fund for students studying Italian.

Of Trees and Bells

Dear Alumni and Friends,

I’ve been asked to write little pieces for Tower, memories about our lives at UD. My problem is that the stories are all mixed up — I truly think of you all being at UD at the same time! Often the story I was about to tell may really have involved your parent, sibling or close friend! You see, I remember the pattern of every school year, every semester, as essentially the same but totally different, always fascinating and rewarding.

So, with that disclaimer, let me share with you some memories of the early days at UD. The very first few freshmen classes remember that there were no trees on the top of the hill. It was pasture land. It had never had much brush and what grew there was cleared regularly. One of my favorite pictures shows the first president, Dr. Kenneth Brasted, looking out over the land with an expression on his face that says, “What have I done?” (He was from the eastern forested part of the United States.)

But, very quickly, little groups of trees were added around the first six buildings. Everyone participated. Sister Frances marie manning, English professor and one of the founding Sisters of St. Mary of Namur, helped Father Don Fischer and Professor lyle Novinski plant trees outside the first chapel, where the drama building now stands. A picture of the three at work occasioned a gift of 500 trees from the Carl B. and Florence E. King Foundation.

Many of you alums helped plant them, as well. The trees were strewn about in front of Carpenter Hall, near Lynch and the first dorms. Without irrigation, students, staff and families watered them over the hot summer with hoses and watering trucks.

But trees take time to grow in order to be noticed. And in the midst of it all, amazing things were happening and buildings were being built, including Gorman Lecture Center, Blakley Library and Maher Athletic Center. The

most extraordinary gift was the $7.5M endowment from the Blakley-Braniff Foundation, establishing the Braniff Graduate School just six years after the opening of UD. A longstanding friendship between founder Edward maher and then-Senator William Blakley encouraged the gift.

A million and a half from that endowment funded the Braniff Building, the Mall and the tower. Of course, classes continued during construction. This made for many experiences of mud and chaos. As Delora Wojehowski said in her 1979 valedictory, “When I arrived, I wondered why my parents sent me to the middle of a brick factory! I now think of the campus as an Italian hill town.”

With the Mall came the Braniff Memorial Tower. One day, at a luncheon thanking the King Foundation for scholarship assistance, and for the trees which had grown to noticeable height, King Scholar Sean martin asked foundation director Carl yeckel if he had heard about the bells in the tower.

“No,” Yeckel said. “What about them?”

“There aren’t any.”

“Let’s look at that question,” Yeckel chuckled.

The King Foundation provided the funds for the incredible bells, which were dedicated to Donald and louise Cowan. We are grateful for the joyful peal of the four bells: Columba, the large F bell; Agatha, the A bell; Catherine, the C; and Andrew, the small F bell.

Blessings,

Sybil Novinski

Former Associate Provost and University Historian

sybil novinski is the beloved guardian of UD’s culture and traditions, having served in many capacities, most recently as university historian prior to her retirement. She and her husband Lyle, emeritus art professor, came to UD in 1960 and raised five children, four of them UD alumni. They live in Irving and have 18 grandchildren, two of whom attend UD.

louise cowan, Ph.D., inside one of the Tower bells, which were donated by the King Foundation and lifted into place on Nov. 22, 1976. Irving campus aerial photo circa 1956.

Class Notes

Welcome

1970s

Bob Loftus, BA ’76, reported that Jeff Kaitcer, BA ’76, was recently traveling on a Mediterranean cruise and stopped at Olympia, Greece, where he ran into the fall Romer class of ’22. Jeff and Bob were both in Rome in the fall of ’73, so it was, as Yogi Berra said, “a case of deja vu all over again.”

Joe Garcia, MD, BA ’76, has been named associate vice president for research at UF Health, the University of Florida’s academic health center, and the inaugural Herbert A. Wertheim Professor of Inflammation Science, effective Jan. 5, 2023. Garcia is a distinguished pulmonologist and critical care physician and is internationally recognized as a leading authority on the genetic basis of inflammatory lung disease, the development of novel biomarkers and therapies for critically ill patients, and examination of lung health disparities among vulnerable populations. He is an elected member of the National Academy of Medicine.

1980s

Henry Godinez, BA ’80, invited his UD teachers, Emeritus Professors Pat and Judy Kelly, to see his production of “Measure for Measure” at the Chicago Shakespeare Theatre in early November. The critically lauded show placed the action in pre-Castro Havana during Batista’s Fascist regime, with Batista serving as the model for The Duke and a revolutionary for Angelo. Centered in a wild nightclub of the period (operated by Mistress Overdone) with 1950s-style song and dance, it was a spectacular and illuminating interpretation of the classic play. Henry continues serving on the artistic council that runs the Goodman Theatre and as chair of the renowned Northwestern Department of Theatre. His daughters Lucy and Gaby, both recent NU graduates, are pursuing

show business careers, Lucy as a singer, dancer and actress — she just opened in the lead of Rent in Chicago — and Gaby in the producer's office of Hamilton in New York.

John Forsyth, BA ’81, and his wife Wendy also attended Henry Godinez’s Shakespeare performance. Now having retired from teaching math, John remains as his high school's theater director, having staged “As You Like It” this fall. He doubled acting with directing by taking on the role of 80-year-old Adam. He and Wendy will spend springs in their new house in Flagstaff, Arizona near family but will return for falls in Chicago where John will continue to teach acting and direct at his school.

Douglas J. W. Gerwin, MA ’80 Ph.D. ’84, has been inducted into the prestigious Marquis Who's Who Biographical Registry. With more than 45 years of experience as an educator, Dr. Gerwin provides adult education and mentoring while teaching high school students. He currently serves as the executive director of both the Center for Anthroposophy and the Research Institute for Waldorf Education. In addition, he is a member of the Pedagogical Section Council in the School for Spiritual Science of the Anthroposophical Society in America and has served as chair of the Teacher Education Delegates Circle in the Association of Waldorf Schools of North America and as member of the International Forum for Steiner/ Waldorf Education.

Michel Andre Jacob, MBA ’86, is now retired after a career dedicated to marketing and business development in the pharmaceutical and clinical research industry. He is looking for some news from alumni and friends from the 1986 MBA program and can be reached at micheljacob94@gmail.com.

Bryan Kucholtz, BA ’89, has been appointed executive vice president, head of private wealth at Texas Capital Bank.

1990s

Adrian Blake Mitchell, son of UD alumna Laura Mitchell, BA ’94, and alum Dwight Miller, was recently mentioned in the media. Adrian moved to Russia years ago to chase his dream of performing ballet with the prestigious Mikhailovsky Ballet Company in St. Petersburg. Like many foreign dancers, Adrian left Russia with the invasion of Ukraine. He is

now in the U.S. dancing with the Westside Ballet Studio in Santa Monica, CA.

Richard Erickson, MBA ’94, joined the Institute for Defense Analyses (IDA) as a research staffer this January. Headquartered in Virginia, IDA conducts federally funded research into national security issues.

2000s

Justin Brown, MBA ’00, won a seat on the Pleasanton Unified School District Board of Trustees in Pleasanton, CA in Nov. 2022.

Chris Mason, MBA ’01, has been appointed Senior Vice President and Principal Accounting Officer at Sonos, Inc.

Sr. Mary Therese of Divine Mercy, known in the world as Emily Clotilde "Cloe" Chauviere, BA ’01, made her solemn profession as a Dominican nun at the Monastery of the Infant Jesus in Lufkin, TX, on Saturday, Jan. 21, 2023.

Aaron Frei, BA ’03 MT ’07, was the keynote speaker at the annual Dolle Lecture on Church Art and Architecture held at Saint Meinrad Seminary and School of Theology on Thursday, Sept. 15, 2022. He spoke on “The Sacred Transmitted: Stained Glass in the Legacy of Sacred Art and Architecture.”

Fr. Thomas Esposito, O.Cist., BA ’05, professor of theology, received the Educator Award from Keep Irving Beautiful. KIB Board President Scott Wilson said, “It’s a pleasure to pay tribute to people who make a positive impact in the community each year.”

2010s

Aaron Miri, MBA ’10, was appointed to the Florida State College at Jacksonville District Board of Trustees on Oct. 27, 2022.

Oscar Ortiz, BA ’10, has been appointed principal of Nolan Catholic High School, Fort Worth.

Kasten Searles, MA ’10 MFA ’12, received an Individual Artist Fellowship award from The Arkansas Arts Council and the Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism for her paintings and illustrations.

Alexander M. Bachik, BA ’14, joined Bressler, Amery & Ross, P.C., as an associate in the insurance defense practice group. He earned

his J.D. from the University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law in 2021 and received his BA in business administration from the University of Dallas.

Catherine (Hand) Goetz, D.O., BA ’14, has completed medical school at Arkansas College of Osteopathic Medicine and has entered residency at the University of Kansas School of Medicine-Wichita Family Medicine Residency Program at Smoky HillSalina in Salina, KS.

Adam P. Kaftan, BS ’14 MD, has been named to the SVMC Emergency Department of Southwestern Vermont Medical Center.

Kaitlin (Casanova) Hampton, BS ’18, has received her Ph.D. in Biomedical Sciences from Texas A&M. She is married to Joshua Hampton, BS ’18, also at A&M working on his Ph.D. Despite having two children while working on the Ph.D., she finished in four years with multiple publications and awards.

Morgan Flottmeier, BA ’19, and her mother Suzanne plan to open a Sylvan Learning Center in Albertville, MN.

2020s

Kate Vidimos, BA ’20, is currently working on finishing and illustrating a children’s book.

Natalie Villafranca, BA ’21, was recently appointed PowerHouse Texas Energy Policy Fellow in Representative Rafael Anchia's office at the Texas House of Representatives. Natalie was the recipient of a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship in 2022.

Sarah Evans, BS ’22, began teaching at Jesuit Dallas as a physics teacher and also moderates the school’s ultimate frisbee club.

Gale Randall, DBA ’22, assistant professor of marketing for the Department of Management and Marketing in the Norris-Vincent College of Business at Angelo State University, has been named the 2021-22 National Chapter Advisor of the Year for her work with Angelo State University’s chapter of the Delta Sigma Pi professional business fraternity.

to our expanded Class Notes, a section dedicated to sharing your news with the UD community. Share your updates with us via udallas.edu/alumni-portal for possible inclusion in the next issue of Tower.

UD Bids Adieu, Honors Legacy of Pope Benedict XVI

Two UD faculty members were among the hundreds of thousands of pilgrims visiting the Vatican to pray before Pope Benedict's mortal remains at St. Peter’s Basilica in January: Professor of Philosophy Chad Engelland, Ph.D., (with his family in tow) and Associate Professor of Politics Daniel Burns, Ph.D., who reflected on the legacy of the pope emeritus with the readers of North Texas Catholic: “He knew he owed the world honest and clear answers to questions raised about the faith by believers and nonbelievers alike. He understood the faith as a precious gift we must always feed and nurture and can never take for granted, especially in a secularizing world.”

In Memoriam

Roland Kelbert “RK” Arnold III, MBA ’83, of Sterling, VA, passed away unexpectedly on March 22, 2022. RK was born on June 4, 1955, to Roland Kelbert Jr. and Wilburta (Cartwright) Arnold in Duncan, OK. RK attended the University of Oklahoma where he was awarded a BBA in Finance in 1977 and was a member of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity. He subsequently earned an MBA from the University of Dallas in 1983 and his JD from Oklahoma City University in 1986. RK was a member of both the Oklahoma and Texas Bar Associations. After completing his undergraduate degree, RK enlisted in the U.S. Army and served in the Airborne Division of the U.S. Army Rangers from 1977 to 1981. RK continued his military commitment as an Army Reservist from 1981 until 1997, eventually

achieving the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. RK met Lynne Gilmore, a native Oklahoman and graduate of the University of Oklahoma, while both were working in downtown Oklahoma City in 1986. They were married on Dec. 31, 1988. During his retirement, RK earned multiple diving certifications, became a diving instructor and traveled the world to enjoy his underwater sport. He also spent hours playing the piano, reading about WWII and being with his beloved grand nephews and niece. Above all, he was a positive, engaging person with a great sense of humor who loved to laugh.

Sr. Julie Brady, BA ’70, MA ’79, a School Sister of Notre Dame (SSND), went to her eternal reward after a short hospitalization. Sister Julie was the second of three daughters born to Evelyn (Shephard) and Bernard Brady on October 9, 1948, in Tampa, FL. She was baptized on Nov. 14, 1948, at Christ the King Church in Tampa

and named Julie Anne. She was preceded in death by her parents. Sister Julie was awarded a bachelor's degree in English from the University of Dallas, Irving, TX in 1970 and a master's degree in English from the University of Dallas in 1979. During her college years at the University of Dallas, Sister Julie decided she wanted to go into a profession that made a difference in people's lives by helping them to learn and to accept themselves. She realized that her calling was to become a teacher. In July 2022, Sister Julie celebrated 50 years of religious profession as a School Sister of Notre Dame. Sister Julie taught at schools throughout Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi and Ghana, with her final position at Healy Murphy High School in San Antonio, TX.

Catherine Elizabeth Caesar, Ph.D., a member of the University of Dallas faculty, passed away Saturday, Nov. 19, 2022. Catherine was born Aug. 7, 1969, in Philadelphia, PA to Judy Caesar and Roland Caesar After graduating from Upper Moreland High School in Pennsylvania, Cathy received her bachelor's degree from the University of Richmond, a master’s degree from Tulane University and her Ph.D. from Emory University. In every stage of her education, Cathy’s vibrant personality, coupled with her brilliant mind and quick wit, endeared her to an ever-growing set of lifelong friends. Catherine began her career as a professor of art history with the University of Dallas in 2003. In addition to teaching, she served as department chair several times during her tenure at UD and contributed significantly to the university’s program in Rome. Many have

benefited over the years from Cathy’s deeply personal and caring approach to sharing her joy and enthusiasm for art, her attention to detail and her devotion to cultivating genuine learning in her students. In 2005, she married James Britt Holbrook and moved from Dallas to Grapevine, TX where she became a loving mother to her three beautiful children, Lucas, Frances and Grace. Motherhood became her passion in life, as she poured herself joyfully into loving and raising her children. Cathy was always a devoted mother, a dear friend to many, and a generous and trusted colleague.

David Anthony Hicks, Ed.D., BA ’88, a beloved educator, husband, father and friend, unexpectedly passed away on Friday, Sept. 9, 2022, at the age of 55 in Fort Worth, TX. David was born to Alexander and Marilyn Hicks on March 7, 1967, in West Palm Beach, FL. He studied history at the University of Dallas. He also earned a master’s degree in educational administration and a doctorate in educational leadership from the University of North Texas. David spent 34 years in education, beginning his career as a middle school history teacher in Carrolton-Farmers Branch ISD. He served as a principal in both Grapevine-Colleyville ISD and CFBISD. David was the assistant superintendent of Secondary Academic Programs in Denton ISD before moving to Sherman ISD, where he served the district as superintendent for six years. David joined Northwest ISD as superintendent in May 2022 and made an incredible and immediate impact on students and educators in the few short months he worked

there. David was at his happiest while sitting in a classroom reading to children, cheering on students during school activities, cruising, or tailgating with family and friends. His proudest family moments included witnessing his nephew, Timothy, graduate from Missouri State, watching Aubrey thrive as she began her nursing career, and serving as Keaton’s best man in his wedding.

Duane Eugene Landry, FAIA, died surrounded by his family, July 26, 2022, in his Dallas, TX home. Born in Hays, KS on June 14, 1933, Duane grew up in Austin and studied architecture at the University of Texas at Austin and the University of Pennsylvania, where he earned his Bachelor of Architecture degree in 1957. In 1956, Duane married Jane Lorenz Landry, his loving wife, college classmate, fellow architect and constant companion for 66 years. In 1959, Duane began his career in San Antonio, TX, at the firm of O'Neil Ford & Associates. In 1964, while continuing their association with O'Neil Ford and its successor entity, Ford, Powell & Carson, Architects and Planners, Duane and Jane started their own architectural firm, later known as Landry & Landry. They specialized in religious, academic and residential design, including numerous award-winning buildings, particularly at the University of Dallas. Duane was a loving father to his four daughters and was active in serving others. Among other things, he served as president of the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine (CCD) program at St. Rita Catholic Church and later as president of the school board of Ursuline Academy of Dallas. He particularly enjoyed designing and renovating religious spaces, including the Church of the Incarnation at the University of Dallas, the Mausoleum at Emanu-El Cemetery in Dallas, St. Catherine of Siena in Austin, Holy Spirit Friary at the Franciscan University of Steubenville, Holy Trinity Seminary Chapel, St. Joseph Catholic Church in Richardson, Our Lady of the Lake in Rockwall, St. Bernard of Clairvaux in Dallas, St. Peter the Apostle in White Settlement and the Chapel of St. Angela Merici of Ursuline Academy in Dallas. In 1988, Duane and Jane took joy in being the first husband and wife in the nation to be jointly nominated and named Fellows of the AIA. In 2020, the Dallas AIA honored both with its Lifetime Achievement

Award. Duane loved sailing and, in later life, spent many happy summers sailing the waters of the Pacific Northwest with Jane, his "First Mate," in their sailboat, Whisper.

John Makarios Papadopoulos, son of Pavlos, MA ’14, Ph.D. ’18 and Marjorie, BA ’10 Papadopoulos, was born on April 16, 2022 and passed away on June 24, 2022, at his family’s home in Lander, WY. John Makarios was born during the Easter Vigil, baptized on the feast of Corpus Christi and passed away on the feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. We can but see in this John himself as a light of the Resurrection, pointing us toward the well of God’s mercy. We pray that God reveal His Divine Love to us in this time of devastating loss. John was named for the Beloved Apostle as well as relatives on both sides of his family. He is also named for St. Makarios, on whose feast he was due, whose name means “blessedness” or “beatitude” in Greek. This name fit him, a beautiful, peaceful, perfect little baby boy. His parents called him “our little philosopher,” because he loved to sit and watch his family. His sisters loved to try to make him laugh and smile. They celebrated every laugh and smile, which he’d started to share so often — such a sweet, happy smile, and little half-moon eyes. We continue to mourn his loss and celebrate his life in eternity. In our grief we know that John intercedes on our behalf and, together with Estella, united to Christ in his Death and Resurrection, he waits to welcome us before the throne of Christ our King.

Father Roch Kereszty, O.Cist., one of the first campus chaplains at the University of Dallas, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, Dec. 14, 2022, surrounded in the prayerful presence of his brother monks. Fr. Roch imprinted an indelible impact on the countless students he encountered in his tenure as one of the longestserving faculty members at the University of Dallas. According to his obituary, published in the Dallas Morning News, “Fr. Roch's theological studies bore fruit in a lifetime of important work as a teacher and writer. He taught courses at all levels of theology, from fifth-grade boys at Cistercian to graduate students at the University of Dallas; moreover, with important textbooks on Christology, the Eucharist, spiritual life, the nature of the Church, the priestly life, and

other writings, he established himself as one of the preeminent Catholic theologians of his time. He knew that teaching alone is never enough; rather, it is by passionate insistence and loving devotion to others that we can help them on the path to God.” Born in Hungary in 1933, Fr. Roch entered the Cistercian Order in 1951 at the Monastery of Zirc, living through the Nazi occupation during World War II and the early days of Soviet communist rule of Hungary. In the early 1960s, Fr. Roch was among a handful of Hungarian Cistercian monks assigned to teach at the nascent University of Dallas in Irving, TX. After emigrating to the United States in 1963, Fr. Roch began teaching theology at UD, and served as campus chaplain from 1963 to 1965. He started teaching at Cistercian Preparatory School in the early 1970s. At UD, Fr. Roch taught theology until just a few years ago. Generously and selflessly serving his students, he would often share memories from his witness of the early sessions of Vatican II. He authored two books, “The Church of God in Jesus Christ: A Catholic Ecclesiology” and “Rekindle the Gift of God: A New Handbook for Priests”. To many generations of UD students and to his brothers at the Abbey, he will be remembered as a brilliant theologian, scholar and spiritual director who no doubt led many young men to religious vocations. It is fitting, Abbot Peter Verhalen, O.Cist. BA ’77, MA ’81, noted, that Fr. Roch passed away on the vigil of Bl. John Brenner, the young Cistercian martyred in 1957. Fr. Roch’s favorite quotation from Bl. John’s journal, a text Fr. Roch translated into English, is,

“My greatest desire is to become a saint and to make others saints.”

After a lifetime devoted to philosophy, faith and family, Robert E. Wood passed away on Feb. 10, 2023, at the age of 88. Robert earned a Ph.D. in Philosophy from Marquette University and went on to teach philosophy for 57 years. Robert spent the last 39 years of his career teaching at UD until he retired at the age of 83. He was the twelfth recipient of the King Award in 1996 for excellence in teaching, scholarship and service. He taught at the University’s Rome campus in 1983 and worked in Tübingen, West Germany in 1989 as a Fulbright Scholar. Robert served as president of the American Catholic Philosophical Association and the North Texas Philosophical Association. In 2018 he received his most prestigious award, the ACPA’s Aquinas Medal, given to an “outstanding teacher” who has “contributed significantly to the development of philosophy in the Catholic tradition.” Robert was dedicated to his Catholic faith both at home and in the community, serving on the pastoral council, lecturing, and developing and teaching a Diaconate Formation Program. His many interests included art, nature, landscape architecture and classical music. He drew and sculpted. He loved sports, puns and witty expressions; singing old songs, walks in the woods, swimming, and fishing with his family. Instead of flowers, Robert requested gifts to the fund he created for married students in the UD doctoral program, the Robert E. Wood Institute of Philosophic Studies Endowment.

UD Hosts the Catholic Bar Association Conference

he University of Dallas hosted the seventh annual Catholic Bar Association (CBA) Conference last fall, titled “Catholic Lawyers: Upholding the Rule of Law.”

Peter H. Wickersham, CBA president, stated he was delighted to bring its flagship event — the 2022 annual conference and general assembly — to the University of Dallas. “The conference is a gathering of Catholic lawyers that educate, organize and inspire its members to faithfully uphold and bear witness to the Catholic faith in the study and practice of the law.”

The CBA conference featured some of the country’s best legal minds, leading intellectuals and professionals, including President Jonathan J. Sanford, Ph.D., who presented, “What Does the Law Have to Do With Virtue?” and UD’s Gerard Wegemer, Ph.D., professor of English and director of the Center for Thomas More Studies.

In addition, Charles limandri, a member of UD’s Board of Trustees and attorney, delivered a talk titled “Defending Attacks on Religious Liberty.” louis Brown, UD trustee and executive director of Christ Medicus Foundation, a Catholic healthcare-

UPComING EVENTS

Events are subject to change. Stay up to date on UD’s alumni social media channels.

sharing organization, spoke on “The Case for Civil Rights in Healthcare: Legal Principles Pertaining to Life, Religious Freedom, and Medical Conscience.”

SEt IN StONE paving the path forward

Words of gratitude to influential professors, cherished quotes or proverbs, commemorations of legacy families, tributes to family members and memorials to lost loved ones: You’ll find all of these types of inscriptions in the Pavers Gallery. You, too, can have your name and/or message permanently engraved on a paver to be installed on the Alumni and Friends Walkway, a prominent location on campus leading to J.M. Haggar Sr. University Center and the Mall from Lynch Circle off of Northgate Drive.

Pavers come in 12" x 12" and 6" x 12" and are completely tax deductible. The text on the pavers is engraved and painted to ensure that it will endure. Funds from this Paving the Path Forward initiative go toward University of Dallas student scholarships.

SPRING maINSTaGE

UD Drama presents the classic play, “The Marriage of Figaro.” The story picks up three years following “The Barber of Seville.” Learn more at udallas.edu/drama.

MARCH 23 – APRIL 1

COR CHallENGE 2023

Mark your calendar for the annual friendly competition that challenges alumni giving at any level. Learn more at udallas.edu/ cor-challenge

MARCH 27 – APRIL 1

CROWlEy CHamBER

“Music in the Museum” concerts are an opportunity to enjoy great classical music in a beautiful setting. Reserve your seat at udallas.edu/ crowley-trio.

APRIL 24-25

aFW WEEKEND 2023

Don’t miss this year's Alumni & Family Weekend, as we welcome alumni, parents, students, families and friends to campus to celebrate all that is UD.

SEPT. 29 – OCT. 1

learn more at udallas.edu/pavers

photos: courtesy of the catholic bar association, ken starzer, v asile c hiriac, anthony mazur, nathan hunsinger, jeff mcwhorter, ron st. angelo.

On Civil Discourse

By Matthias Vorwerk, Ph.D., Provost

here is much talk these days of the need for civil discourse. Yet, what civil discourse is seems to be unclear. Many of our contemporaries use the term synonymously with the more popular phrase “political correctness,” which signifies some sort of social politeness in words and actions. Whatever one may think, say or do in private may not be appropriate in the company of others, lest one cause offense. The standard of what constitutes an offense is set not by objective moral norms or societal principles, but rather by the sentiment of the individual person. Or so it would appear, at least. For a closer look reveals that not every individual’s sentiment enjoys such a privilege, but only that of a specific few who share certain well-promoted values and, allegedly, happen to be standing on the right side of history. Civil discourse in this sense is neither civil, because it disregards the right to free speech of every citizen (Lat. cives), nor a form of discourse, as it does not run through (Lat. discurrere) any argument, but often results in self-curtailment and even silencing.

Civil discourse in the classical sense, on the other hand, is the argumentative speech of citizens about matters pertaining to them as citizens. The primary matter pertaining to all citizens is the flourishing of their “city,” or polis, which presupposes an understanding of true and false, right and wrong, obligatory and optional. In other words, civil discourse is rooted in, and aimed at, the pursuit of wisdom, truth and virtue. Since there is, and has always been, much dispute not only about what, in general, wisdom, truth and virtue are, but also what, in particular, they entail, it is necessary and salutary for a flourishing society to enter into civil discourse; that is to say, into the argumentative debate of all citizens about the common good, as well as about the laws and actions required to achieve it. So much is at stake in this debate that consideration of sentiment and sensitivity must recede for the benefit of the honest pursuit of truth. Neither a claim that the matter has already been decided nor a warning that the debate itself could be impious, or offensive to some, should prevent a society in pursuit of flourishing from engaging in such discourse. Every generation and, in fact, every individual is in need of relearning what has already been learned and of finding the truth in spite of its potential to offend. It is the concord of citizens, the fundamental friendship that exists between members of the political community, that makes this endeavor possible. Respect for the dignity of the human person entails both the observance of mutual friendship as members of one society and the embrace of the love of truth as rational animals in pursuit of wisdom.

This is the educational creed of the University of Dallas, the Catholic University for Independent Thinkers. To put it in the form of the often-cited Socratic maxim: “The unexamined life is not worth living” — neither for the individual nor for society at large. No matter whether inopportune or even offensive, civil discourse is the lifeblood of an intellectually sincere and genuinely flourishing community.

national eUcharistic revival comes to Ud

Last fall, more than 100 students, faculty, staff and friends of UD gathered for a special midday Mass, rosary and Eucharistic procession around the Irving campus, among the first National Eucharistic Revival events in Texas. The revival — a grassroots movement to restore understanding about the centrality of the Eucharist as the “source and summit” of the Catholic faith — includes similar events across the U.S. in preparation for the National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis, Indiana, in 2024.

“We were honored to be chosen as one of the first Texas locations to host this pivotal event,” said President Jonathan J. Sanford, Ph.D. “Our culture yearns for the hope that is found most profoundly in the Eucharist, that is, in the gift of Christ himself, and we deeply appreciate the vision and work being done by the leaders of the Eucharistic Revival and the U.S. bishops to renew this hope in our culture.”

For Nicholas Walz, a junior philosophy and classical philology major, attending the procession had a profound impact.

“The Eucharistic procession was an extraordinary opportunity to follow after Christ, to realize that in Him, whom we receive in the Eucharist, we find our fullest identity as Christians,” Walz said.

SERVIcE tO chURch

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2023. A literary quote is inscribed on every Groundhog sweatshirt, and this year, G.K. Chesterton made his appearance: “No animal ever invented anything as bad as drunkenness – or so good as drink.” (Fun Fact: UD’s new Groundhog outfit stands over 6 feet tall.) We were happy to celebrate the 60th anniversary!

1970s. The Groundhog has sported numerous outfits since the inception of the student-led tradition. While attire has enhanced significantly, there remains an unmistakable marmot-inspired likeness. Unable to procure an inaugural costume in 1963, students settled on a bear costume to serve as the first-ever Groundhog.

NOW&THEN