By Brendan McDonald ’25
For each and every Thomas More College event, a small cadre of student volunteers labor behind the scenes. These students plan for college-wide banquets, social events, dances, and “caf nights.”
The Social Council is made up of two students each from the Senior, Junior, and Sophomore classes, with Student Life staff providing oversight and guidance. Two Freshmen are added to the ranks when the Sophomores depart for Rome in the spring.
The fact that different classes participate in the Council allows for the growth of its members. “There are always six Council members on campus at a time,” Margaret Six ’25 explained, “but there’s a sort of hierarchy where the Seniors are responsible for actually making things happen, and the Juniors and underclassmen are learning how to do things, how to make things work smoothly and contribute to the community.”
Dedicating one’s time to the College’s social life requires sacrifice. While some may find it challenging, Valerie Hurth ’27 reflects that keeping this balance is part of being a complete person. “It is not very difficult to prepare for Social Council events if you spend the rest of your time wisely,” she said. “In my opinion, there needs to be a balance of schoolwork, socializing, and manual work in life. If I balance these three things well, then it is not hard to do the work required for Social Council.”
What Miss Hurth enjoys most about being on the Council is preparing good food for events. “My favorite part of the Social Council is getting to work with my hands and prepare something that is going to contribute to a feast and celebration for everybody at the College,” she commented.
Integrating students into essential roles in fostering the College’s social life is essential for fulfilling Thomas More College’s mission. “The community and events play a huge role in the education here at Thomas More, and it is important that these traditions be kept up,” Miss Hurth observed.
Miss Six expressed a similar thought. “I enjoy being able to create situations where the community can come together and enjoy themselves and be uplifted by what it is we’re doing,” she stated. “I enjoy being responsible for providing good relaxation for people and the community.”
As Thomas More College students learn in Ethics, the essential aspect of a community and friendship is living a common life together. The concept of “relation” is part of what it is to be a human being, which leads Aristotle to state in The Nicomachean Ethics that “No one would choose to live without friends even if he had all other goods” (VIII, 1). A community’s social events, which bring its members together, help meet this need.
“The Social Council is a testimony to the fact that humans are social beings and should all willingly contribute to the community that they live in,” Miss Hurth reflected. “Furthermore, it provides a way for me to encourage others to enjoy the rich community life at the College.”
Danielle Summers ’23 reflects on student life at TMC. View more student stories at myimpact.thomasmorecollege.edu/your-impact.
For further reading:
Challenges and Rewards: The Class of 2025 Defends Junior Projects
