With high school students starting to apply to college, it seems to me that potential students should have an idea of how to live a St. Thomas lifestyle. Current Tommies may not know these fun and important things about their school, either, and can learn along with the prospective students.
Tommie: Is it a tomcat or a tiger?
First off, what actually is a Tommie? Well, there is a bit of history behind it.
According to the St. Thomas Libraries Blog, the first mascot, an orange and black cat named Tommy Tiger, emerged in the mid-1950s after students asked The Aquin — St. Thomas’ student newspaper at the time — why their rival schools had a mascot but St. Thomas did not. In the mid-1980s, the tiger was gone and in its place was Tommie, who we know and love today.
Tommie’s appearance has changed over the years (most recently in the fall of 2024) but one question remains: if Tommie isn’t a tiger anymore, what is the mascot?
The Libraries Blog answers this question: Tommie is a “feline of undetermined origin.” I have heard Tommie described as a cat, a tomcat, a tiger and so on. Who knew that our mascot was actually none of the above?
No matter what the mascot is, find Tommie at events like sports games and Family Weekend and be sure to give Tommie a high five!
Who is Scooter?
If you’re ever on the hunt for a good non-dining hall food option, I recommend Scooter’s in the Anderson Student Center. I love their chicken sandwiches, and they have a new milkshake flavor every month. And by the way, did you know that Scooter was a real person?
The restaurant is affectionately named after Monsignor James Lavin, nicknamed “Scooter,” who was first an undergraduate at St. Thomas from 1936-1940, then a faculty member and administrator from 1946-2002. After retiring, Scooter worked for the alumni office, and an award for alumni bearing his name is now presented each year, according to the St. Thomas website.
Scooter, who died in 2012, lived in Ireland Hall while at St. Thomas. He served weekly “Lavinburgers,” aka peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, to the residents.
The Lavinburger tradition still lives on: Ireland Hall Community Director Hannah White wrote in an email to The Crest that, “Any Ireland resident can come to the RA desk on Saturday nights around 7pm and get a Lavinburger. These days we do Uncrustables instead of actually making the sandwiches.”
So next time you grab a burger from Scooter’s, check out the picture of Monsignor James Lavin in the first booth by the door, and tell all your friends the real reason why a favorite on-campus restaurant got its name.
How to avoid the lunch rush
Another good thing to know in terms of food are the best times to eat lunch. If you go to The View at 11:55 a.m., you might get a seat, but by 12:05 p.m., you will be left searching. Classes get out at noon, and everyone rushes over to grab some lunch before their next class, so be on the lookout for tables, and don’t forget to come early for chicken nugget Wednesdays.
St. Thomas lingo
To be a Tommie, you also need to know our lingo. For example, how will you get to class if you don’t know the difference between the buildings MHC and MCH?
A trick that I’ve taught myself over the years is that MHC (Murray-Herrick Campus Center) and MCH (McNeely Hall) are different because MCH stands for “McHall.” It’s funny, and it’s an easy way to differentiate the buildings.
Another big source of confusion is OWS vs. OSS — the two buildings are connected, making it difficult to know which is which. OWS stands for Owens Science Hall and covers the science majors such as biology, chemistry and physics, according to the campus map. OSS is the O’Shaughnessy Science Hall, home to the School of Engineering and other science programs. You can find the MaRC (Mathematics Resource Center) on the second floor.
Unfortunately, I don’t have a fun way to remember these buildings; just make sure you read the door signs so that you don’t end up in the wrong one!
Tommie trends and traditions
The final opportunities you should know about before attending St. Thomas are the traditions! Make sure to march through the arches during Welcome Week, then march out when you graduate. Attend the homecoming sweatshirt giveaway and dessert food trucks. Show your purple pride on Tommie Tuesdays.
Count down the seconds until the ASC Christmas tree is lit, then get a photo with Santa Reggie at his Winter Wonderland. Win free things at Purple on the Plaza before football games and bring your parents to it during Family Weekend. Listen to Gus yell out numbers at Bingo With Gus a few times throughout the year, and attend a concert and eat from food trucks at Tommie Fest to close out the year.
Whether you are an incoming freshman, transfer student or current Tommie, keep these things in mind as you go through life at St. Thomas to get the full experience.
Bridget Schmid can be reached at schm1520@stthomas.edu.
