By Ella Fordyce, Class of 2019
The Thomas More College of Liberal Arts Class of 2018 has emerged victorious in the time-honored tradition of defending its theses. Much as chivalric knights fought for the honor of their beloveds, so too must the seniors fight for the honor of their theses. The defense is one of the very last steps they must take before they can step up to receive their diplomas. For this reason, the thesis defense represents the last hurdle in the obstacle course that is senior year at TMC.
In the preceding months, seniors spent many long hours crafting their theses. They poured over the relevant texts; they discussed their thoughts with their advisors. Finally, after many rewrites, the seniors turned in the final drafts. Having done so, they taped the cover page of their thesis to the chapel door, a medieval custom. It is not enough, however, merely to write a thesis; TMC students must also be able to defend the merit of their thesis. Hence, after classes have finished, the seniors devote the next few days to defending their theses.
Much like a Junior Project, each senior defends his thesis before a panel of three fellows: his advisor, his second reader, and a third who is unfamiliar with the written work. The defense begins with the senior reading a condensed version of his thesis. While the final version of the thesis should be somewhere around twenty-five pages, the spoken thesis must last no more than fifteen minutes; hence, the senior must be able to greatly condense his work. Next, the panel launches a round of queries at the senior, to test the extent of his knowledge and the strength of his argument. The senior engages these queries with the aid of the texts he has read. After the questioning is concluded, the fellows congratulate the student–or not. The thesis has been defended–or at least the defense has been attempted.
This year, thirty seniors defended their theses, on topics ranging from the metaphysical to the moral. Among them is Mr. Liam McCarthy who treated the nature of the soul’s existence apart from the body. In her thesis, Miss Meghan Colbert explored the principles of a free and moral economy. Miss Anne Fagan discussed the ethical problems of sex-reassignment surgery. Mr. Dominic Six argued that the liberal arts are fundamental to a life of virtue.
Of course, it was a very exciting moment for the seniors when they had successfully defended their theses. Months of hard labor were at a close, the rigors of the TMC academic life nearly at an end. For many students, however, the moment was also bittersweet. “When you’re a freshman, you don’t realize how quickly the years fly by,” said Miss Maria Schneider. “One minute you’re a freshman dreaming of the Rome semester, the next you’re a senior about to graduate.” Though the seniors’ time at TMC is over, it is certain that the things they have learned and the people they have met will continue to shape them for the rest of their lives.
After successfully defending their theses, the seniors enjoyed the Senior Formal dance, hosted by the Class of 2021 at Mercy Hall.
