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Ave Maria welcomes fresh faces on first day of its second year in Collier
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First day of classes at Ave Maria
The first day of classes at Ave Maria University was held Monday, August 25.
Ave Maria University
5050 Ave Maria Blvd, Ave Maria, FL
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AVE MARIA — The first day of Latin 101 at Ave Maria University began with a prayer in Latin, as you would expect.
Professor Thomas Scheck taught a group of students, who are required to study the ancient language. Like many of his students, Scheck was having his first classroom experience at Ave Maria, after moving with his family in June.
“We’ve got six kids and we live here in Ave Maria,” Scheck explained.
Monday started the second year for classes at the school’s permanent campus in eastern Collier County, but the day’s buzzword remained “new.” The university welcomed more than 330 new students and seven new professors. That means there are more fresh faces at Ave Maria than those returning. Undergraduate enrollment at Ave Maria has increased to more than 600 from 426 last fall.
The university did not release final fall enrollment figures, saying it wanted to wait until after the school’s drop/add period for classes.
The figure “really is a moving target,” said school spokesman Forrest Wallace.
The student increase prompted some added amenities at the school, such as a new men’s dormitory, swimming pool and first year of intercollegiate athletics. Ave Maria is competing in six sports in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics.
Scheck’s Latin class got off to an eclectic start. Within the first half hour, nuts and bolts like the syllabus, and homework and absence policies were mixed with references to Dutch humanist Erasmus, a 16th century Polish Cardinal, mythical half-man, half-horse creatures called centaurs and C.S. Lewis’s series, the Chronicles of Narnia.
Freshmen T.J. DeKemper, 17, and Matthew Vicinanzo, 18, were the first two students in Scheck’s class. There, they learned they were both from New Hampshire.
Vicinanzo learned about Ave Maria from his cousin who also attends the school. DeKemper’s interest grew in Ave Maria as he found out more.
“They kept sending me e-mails,” DeKemper said. “Then they offered me a scholarship, which made it the most attractive of the schools I was interested in.” Neither said they were nervous about class starting.
“It’s just Latin,” Vicinanzo said.
Scheck said part of the class’s goal was to make Latin relevant to his students. During class, he gave a speech on its importance. He also planned to refer to Erasmus’ Latin adages, or proverbs, often.
“To spice up the course and spice up my life, I’m going to teach an adage every day,” he said.
Ave Maria will mark the start of the school year with events all week. Monday, the school held an opening Mass celebrated by the Rev. Bob Kantor, who represented the Diocese of Venice. On Friday afternoon, former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum, R-Pa., will speak at Ave Maria’s convocation.
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You daily Ave Maria update, click here everyday to get your fill of the knee scrapers in the swamp.
I think it's time to put NDN writer Liam Dillon on suicide watch, they keep sending him out to the swamp every week, two, three times a week to dig up another article on the kool aid drinkers.
I wonder what Dillon has done to deserve such punishment.
The university did not release final fall enrollment figures,
So Dillon goes out to do a story on the new students and nobody will tell him how many there are. Priceless
#1 Posted by kneejerk on August 26, 2008 at 7:52 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Some rich man came and raped the land nobody caught him. Put up a bunch of earthly boxes and Jesus people bought em.
They called it Paradise the place to be they watched the hazy sun sinking in the Sea.
You can leave it all behind sail to the high ground, like the missionaries did so many years ago. They even brought in Neon Signs, "Jesus is coming".
Don Henley
#2 Posted by kneejerk on August 26, 2008 at 7:58 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Come out Virginia, don't let me wait
You Catholic girls start much too late
But sooner or later it comes down to fate
I might as well be the one
They showed you a statue, told you to pray
They built you a temple and locked you away
but they never told you the price that you pay
For things that you might have done.....
Only the good die young
You got a nice white dress and a party on your confirmation
You got a brand new soul
mmmm, And a cross of gold
But Virginia they didn't give you quite enough information
You didn't count on me
When you were counting on your rosary
(oh woah woah)
They say there's a heaven for those who will wait
Some say it's better but I say it ain't
I'd rather laugh with the sinners than cry with the saints
the Sinners are much more fun...
BJ
#3 Posted by bicoastal on August 26, 2008 at 8:15 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Give us today our daily Ave Maria article.
#4 Posted by swfl_ff on August 26, 2008 at 8:40 a.m. (Suggest removal)
oops....somebody removed the sewer grate and let out the anti Catholic bigots and racists
#5 Posted by Canuck on August 26, 2008 at 12:07 p.m. (Suggest removal)
appreciate your comment another POV.... does anybody have a handle on how long a university town ..started from scratch...will develop?.....it may well turn out to be a bad business decision but with the US and especially the Florida economy in the shape it is in it certainly will take longer than planned....if their enrollment continues at its second year pace the school will have no problem.....houses etc may be another situation
#6 Posted by Canuck on August 26, 2008 at 2:05 p.m. (Suggest removal)
None of you live in Ave Maria. I do. It is a beautiful place and these students and the families that live here are awesome. It is not some wacky cult but actually is a town like most Americans grew up in many years ago before society and academia became hostage to evil. There is building taking place, unlike many other areas of Fla., enrollment is up, people are happy. You cannot understand what you do not have. If it feels eerie when you come here it is because there is a spiritual battle taking place in your soul. Look within to find out why.
#7 Posted by iryshqueen on August 30, 2008 at 3:40 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I can just imagine the critics in 17th century Massachusetts ridiculing the "cult" of Puritans who started a new town and college out in the hinterlands. The town is now called Cambridge and the university is called Harvard!
He who laughs last...
#8 Posted by warrenmass on September 3, 2008 at 11:16 a.m. (Suggest removal)
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