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A University of St. Thomas alumnus from Saudi Arabia said Friday that the university president blocked a school publication from running a profile about him out of concern it would harm efforts to recruit Saudi students.

Ali al-Ahmed, 42, who earned his master’s in international management from St. Thomas, is director of the Institute for Gulf Affairs in Washington, which describes itself as a nonpartisan think tank on Mideast and Islamic issues. The profile was written for B., the magazine of the St. Thomas’ Opus College of Business, and had been in the works for more than a year, al-Ahmed said.

While campus is under construction with the new athletic facilities, the library will also be seeing some changes during December and January.

A proposed ordinance holds St. Paul landlords responsible for underage drinking parties on their properties. City leaders will consider an ordinance that punishes adults who knowingly allow parties where minors are drinking alcohol, including landlords. St. Paul Alderman Russ Stark says landlords should bear some of the responsibility. But, landlord Christa Delfiacco says she shouldn’t …

Continue reading “Ordinance would put onus for underage drinking on landlords”

With one contested race and two write-in candidates, the Undergraduate Student Government announced election results Thursday night. 

People who visit the Grill at St. Thomas may have noticed a small, six-inch cylinder tape on the far wall of the dining area. 

In 1905, the College of St. Thomas built an infirmary on North Campus, now known as the Alumni and Constituent Relations building. Forty years later, math professor Capt. Thomas Gartland was living on the third floor and found graffiti on the walls. The graffiti listed names of students who had died in the building.

According to an article published in The Aquin on April 6, 1966, Gartland found names like “Spike O’Conner, Scarlet Fever, 1921,” and “Harold O’Brien, Mumps, 1924.” He even found written in a corner, “After three weeks in this place I don’t think anything could be worser.”

As of the 10th day of classes, there are 1,352 freshmen enrolled at St. Thomas – the largest class the university has ever seen.

“We took a close look at what we had available in terms of space and what size of class we can enroll and still keep the quality of the experience as high as we can,” said Marla Friederichs, associate vice president for admissions and financial aid.