Student Profile

Laura Cermak

Year: Sophomore / From: McLean, Va. / Major: Undecided

Extracurriculars: Music is one of my greatest passions. I’ve sung in the choir, I play clarinet in the club orchestra, and on the piano I’m just now picking up jazz and working on organizing a jazz group on campus. I’m a member of the Cincinnatus League, the Christendom chapter of the Intercollegiate Studies Institute, where we read and discuss a different book each semester under the guidance of Dr. Bersnak, our Chairman of Political Science. I am also an Ambassador and Academic Success Mentor.

What is unique about the academic program at Christendom? I had a bit of doubt about the core curriculum when I was a prospective student. I have since wised up, and it is one of the greatest things about Christendom. Knowledge cannot be sorted and shoved in a drawer like a bunch of different colored socks. True, each subject area deserves its own study and can be rewarding on its own. But study them all together, see how they are interwoven, and develop the philosophical habit of mind promoted by Cardinal Newman—that’s the best kind of education, because your world comes into focus and expands at the same time. I’ll also mention that when Christ is the center of the academic life, it’s like having a great chandelier that reveals the true beauty of the masterpieces on the wall, which were fascinating to begin with, but only dimly seen.

Give us a highlight from your Christendom experience? One of the most spiritually enriching experiences I've ever had was the mission trip to the Dominican Republic over spring break last year. You’d be hard-pressed to find a better opportunity for prayer, work, and adventure. I also can't recommend enough the St. Columcille Institute, Christendom’s three-week summer program in Ireland.

Any parting words of advice for prospective students? When you visit, be sure to meet as many of the professors as you can. They give of themselves so generously, talking with students at lunch, meeting with them in office hours, and even cheering on the rugby team. Soak up as much of their wisdom as you can, and then imagine what it’s like getting to do that all the time—it’s no wonder there’s such an excitement for learning here at Christendom.

 

The Week in Photos

The Lady Crusaders defeated Trinity University at home 3-0 this past week. The volleyball team has been cruising through the competition as of late, with the Trinity University win marking their fourth straight win.

With midterms in full swing, students are hitting the library to finish study guides, do reading for classes and tests, and more.

In between studies, students are finding time to recuperate and relax.

In the classroom this week, students who have Dr. Kevin Tracy for Latin 101 went over translations and more from their recent readings, going deeper into the writing, reading, and speaking of the Latin language.

On Saturday morning, Christendom students participated in the Front Royal Pregnancy Center's annual Walk for Life.

Christendom College's faculty, staff, and students generally bring in a lot of money for this event, by asking their friends and relatives to sponsor them on the walk.

On Sunday afternoon, students traveled to nearby King's Dominion amusement park for a day of rides, games, and fun at one of the East Coast's most popular attractions. More pictures here!

Students came together for another successful Swing n' Sundaes event this week, learning new swing dance moves and enjoying ice cream as well.

Editor of First Things magazine Dr. Rusty Reno visited campus for the first Major Speaker talk of the academic year, delivering a lecture titled "Christianity in the Public Life."

After his talk, Dr. Reno stayed to answer questions from students, faculty, and staff. Download or listen to his talk at the link below!

Christendom's rugby team hit the field for practice, keeping sharp after winning two straight games on the road. The team is currently at the top of their rugby division, with one game left in the fall season before tournament play begins in November.

Students who work in the operations department with Special Event Manager Theresa Francis learn valuable skills in event planning and management, which they execute at the college's major events (such as graduation, homecoming, and more).

The education continues outside the classroom at Christendom, as students encounter and speak with professors all around campus during the day, especially after Mass in Christ the King Chapel.

Students in the college's Cincinnatus League — a student-run political discussion group —continued their reading of "On The Unseriousness of Human Affairs," by James V. Schall, exploring its themes and how they can relate to today's political landscape.

Brick is steadily going up on the back of the new St. Clare's Residence Hall, with the entire exterior of the residence hall almost finished. The residence hall is expected to be open for students in 2017.

The Lady Crusaders took to home court again on Tuesday, playing Lord Fairfax Community College. Christendom won yet again, extending their winning streak to five games.

A beautiful fall day on campus with views of Dr. Carroll's grave overlooking the Shenandoah River.

On Tuesday, students gathered in St. Kilian's Cafe for Thomistic Tuesday — a chance to delve deeper into the thought of St. Thomas during lunch. The talk and discussion was conducted by theology professor Joseph Arias.

Paul Jalsevac, vice president of advancement, and college president Dr. Timothy O'Donnell discuss the future plans for Christendom, while overlooking the Shenandoah River.

Classics and early Christian studies professor Andrew Beer held study sessions in his office before students' Latin midterms this past week, generously giving them the valuable time to ask questions before the test.

See more photos at the link above!

 

An Immersion in Great Literature

Q: Christendom seems to have a lot of required literature in its core curriculum. If I'm not planning on being on English literature major, why read all those works??

A: G.K. Chesterton once wrote that, “the highest use of the great masters of literature is not literary; it is apart from their superb style and even from their emotional inspiration. The first use of good literature is that it prevents a man from being merely modern. To be merely modern is to condemn oneself to an ultimate narrowness.”

So, regardless of one’s eventual major or professional endeavor, there is a great benefit and, indeed, a real necessity to immerse oneself in the rich tradition of great literature and grapple with these great writers. As Chesterton argues, great literature should be studied, if for no other reason than that it keeps one from becoming an unthinking slave to the changing whims and fancies of our current age — what some might term a “passive consumer.”

Studying the humanities draws people out from the limited view of the particular ideas and opinions of their own time and helps them to develop a broadened world-view that is time-less. Ultimately, to know the great literature of humanity is to be more human. It is to understand human nature. And human nature is the same now as it was during the time of Homer.

At a time when most universities have dramatically stripped the literature coursework required of its students and have, oftentimes, done away entirely with the likes of Homer, Virgil, Dante, Shakespeare, and other authors who have shaped Western thought and culture, Christendom continues its commitment to forming the moral imagination of its students through the study of the seminal literary works of the Western Canon.

No matter the intended major, all Christendom students will spend four semesters reading, discussing, and writing about such classics as The Iliad, The Aeneid, Beowulf, The Inferno, Macbeth, Crime and Punishment, and many more. These works offer an example not only of masterful literary expression and beautiful storytelling, but also of a universality that makes their story as relevant and compelling today as when it was first written.

Through the engagement with these great authors and through the extensive reading and writing program offered in Christendom’s literature courses, our students graduate with the ability to formulate and express their thoughts in a clear and cogent manner. More than this, however, they enter their professional careers with a broadened perspective and thus avoid that “ultimate narrowness” against which Chesterton warns.

Dare to join us. Dare to be great.