An Interview with Faculty Member,
Dr. Anthony Andres ('87)
A Graduate Returns to His Alma Mater
(Fall 2007 Newsletter)
 What
attracted you to Thomas Aquinas College as a student?
I believe my sister suggested I read Mortimer Adler's How to
Read a Book, the second half of which is really an argument
for a Great Books education; it completely convinced me. I saw that
at the College not only was the curriculum made up of the Great
Books, it was also truly Catholic. I never seriously thought about
going anywhere else.
How did you decide to be a teacher?
Prior to attending college, I had given little thought to after
graduation. When I got here, though, I loved the program to so much
that I felt compelled to share what I was learning. For a while
I didn't know how I would do that, but eventually teaching seemed
the best fit for my temperament and abilities.
Where did you choose to do your graduate work?
Several graduates of the College alumni were at the University of
Notre Dame working with Dr. Ralph McInerny, and they gave him rave
reviews. He was a serious Catholic, a serious philosopher, a Thomist,
and a great teacher. So my classmate and soon-to-be wife, Suzie
(Zeiter), and I decided to apply there. We were both accepted into
the philosophy program; I got a doctorate, while Suzie decided to
stop with a Masters.
Where have you taught?
I taught introductory philosophy courses at Notre Dame during my
last two years as a graduate student, but most of my experience
is from my 14 years at Christendom College. Christendom was a great
place for me to teach, a truly Catholic school that took seriously
the study of St. Thomas' philosophy, and I was really lucky to get
the chance to teach there, to deepen my grasp of philosophy and
share that with many tremendous students.
What attracted you to teach at your alma mater?
I just never had gotten the Great Books out of my blood. Classroom
discussion, crossing the lines between disciplines, reading the
best books, not textbooks-you can only do all of that at a place
like my alma mater. I just had to try to get involved with that
again.
What is the application and interview process like?
I continue to be impressed by how rational the application process
is. The College is serious about finding faculty members who are
a good fit for its program, and the prospective tutor can really
see how each step in the process helps them, and himself, decide.
I think every applicant can be confident that the decision for both
sides will be informed and reasonable.
I enjoyed interviewing for my position. Leading a seminar of students
at the College was a joy: they're smart, they're polite, they're
interested and interesting. The faculty was welcoming and helpful,
willing to discuss anything, not just their specialty. Even the
interviews were learning experiences for me.
What are your teaching assignments this year? Do you enjoy
one class more than another?
I'm teaching Senior Philosophy, Freshman Language, and Freshman
Seminar. I don't think that I have a favorite among these, but the
seminar is most strikingly different from what I've done before.
It meets at night, it goes for two hours, and it's a freewheeling
discussion of just about any kind of great text under the sun, from
philosophy to literature to history. It has forced me to stretch
my limits and broaden my abilities, and that's exactly what I wanted
to do.
I enjoy both the freshmen and the seniors. The freshmen are enthusiastic,
filled with wonder, and a little wild, but that keeps me on my toes.
The seniors that I have are great, they retain that original wonder,
but their discussions are remarkably orderly and disciplined.
-- Qtrly Newsletter, Fall 2007
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