Walking around the UST area on the first Tuesday of the school year, passerbys were most likely taken aback by the abnormal amount of people hanging around talking and playing yard games behind a huge house on summit. Little do they know, that huge house is the Center for Catholic Studies, and that large crowd was there for the Fall Kick-Off event for the year.

This year’s kick off event held true to its usual Ice Cream Social theme complete with CS Faculty and Staff. However, Catholic Studies decided to mix it up by adding a substantial food element. Clearly, this was a smart move because Famous Dave’s had nothing on Sitzmann Hall with the amount of people that showed up for some good ol’ BBQ. The attendance at this event was very high in relation to previous years (at least 200) and no one would probably deny that it was a success. To prove this perhaps undeniable statement even further, the event ran out of food. Twice. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, within the first half hour the BBQ and ice cream had run out. And then, when the thin red line of Davanni’s pizza kicked in, the food was again gone within the first 15 minutes.

As passerbys looking at the crowd and perhaps hearing murmers of Catholic theology, an inordinate amount of “Praise Gods”, or just seeing a general air of joy, they may have been asking themselves: I don’t know what that is, but there is something going on.

And in fact, there is something going on. Catholic Studies is providing education, experience, and community for yet another year for so many Catholics and Christians on (and off) campus. If the kick off event is to give any sign as to what this year entails, then UST better brace themselves because the Spirit is moving: Catholic Studies is back.