AQUINAS VIGNETTES
The Story Behind the Aquinas Stories
The metamorphosis of a caterpillar into a butterfly is difficult to describe. So it is with the story behind each Aquinas Glimpses’ story.
I am neither a Hemingway nor O Henry, just someone trying to preserve Aquinas’ rich history. Most history disappears into the stars if not committed to writing or recorded in some way. Catching the essence of life at Aquinas from 1959 – 1963 was important to me. The stories had to be informational and truthful. Veritas - truth was a motto of Aquinas College High School.(I think Harvard also uses it) In other words, no bull.
When I began to write in 2003, most of the stories told by Aquinas Alumni were either about the schools’ discipline or sports. I knew there was more to Aquinas than just those two topics. In particular, I thought the discipline stories presented a rather skewed view of life to persons never attending Aquinas. New generations were hearing stories that made me cringe.
By 2003, Society’s views on punishment in all Catholic Schools times had changed. Physical discipline of the 1950’ s and 1960’s had been repudiated and made criminal offenses in some cases.
Aquinas was like a family in many ways. Many of us spent more time there than at home. United, the true Aquinas College High School was its’ faculty, students and Alumni forming a special segment of society. Their lives made History come alive daily and deserved to be recorded for prosperity. I tried to portray the real Aquinas through anecdotes. Hopefully these stories will give future generations a more positive view of a great school, its outstanding Faculty and talented students. Most Aquinas Alumni look back with fondness on their High School days. I hope my stories bring back the good memories and banishes the bad ones.
Aquinas College High School has been gone since 1965. However, it truly does live on in every Alumni’s heart.
VERITAS
Thomas Aquinas Burke
Aquinas College High School
Class of 1963
Columbus Ohio
28 August 2016
614.432.5521
