VILLANOVA, Pa. – The Villanova Center for Liberal Education (VCLE) at Villanova University honored excellence in writing in the Augustine and Culture Seminar on Friday, December 7 in the President’s Lounge of the Connelly Center on the Villanova campus.    

The Margaret Cecilia Baney Award for the Augustine and Culture Prize Essay was presented to student Angelina Matarozzi ’15 for her paper, “Hobbes on Joseph Kony: the Invisible Sovereign,”  written for her professor Peter Busch, PhD.  Receiving honorable mention were students Spencer Chipman ‘15 and Lilly Rizzo ’15.

The Celina Mariceth Ramos Award for the Honors Program Augustine and Culture Prize Essay was presented to student Clay McDermott ’15 for his paper, “Hobbes’ Wager,” written for his professor Matthew Rose, PhD.  Receiving Honorable Mention were Meagan Henry ’15 and Mary Katherine Hickey ’15. 

Special recognition for a non-traditional composition was given to Danielle Morro ‘15 and Jenny Lee ’15 for “An Introduction to St. Augustine’s Confessions: A Guide for New Villanova Faculty Members by New Villanova Students.”

At the heart of the VCLE is the Augustine and Culture Seminar, a two-semester seminar which introduces all first-year Villanova students to some of the greatest texts of western culture. The title invokes St. Augustine as a model for the fearless pursuit of wisdom.  

The aim of the Augustine and Culture Seminar is to explore enduring questions with students about life, humanity, God, and truth, through books which over the centuries continue to challenge readers. Students are taught to be more reflective readers and to be able to engage texts through thoughtful discourse and reasoned writing. The Augustine and Culture Seminar classroom is discussion-oriented, with critical attention paid to reading primary texts and interacting with them through the spoken and written word.

About Villanova University: Since 1842, Villanova University’s Augustinian Catholic intellectual tradition has been the cornerstone of an academic community in which students learn to think critically, act compassionately and succeed while serving others.  There are more than 10,000 undergraduate, graduate and law students in the University's five colleges – the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the Villanova School of Business, the College of Engineering, the College of Nursing and the Villanova University School of Law. As students grow intellectually, Villanova prepares them to become ethical leaders who create positive change everywhere life takes them.