"Happiness isn't a feeling any more than the smell of turkey is Thanksgiving dinner," Brooks said. "The smell of the turkey is evidence of dinner, and your feelings are evidence of happiness."

Brooks explored what makes a happy and meaningful life during a Finding Forward conversation with University of St. Thomas President Rob Vischer. Presented by St. Thomas in partnership with the Minnesota Star Tribune, the speaker series brings people together for conversations about issues shaping society.

Happiness, Brooks explained, has three essential ingredients: enjoyment, satisfaction and meaning.

"Enjoyment is pleasure plus people plus memory," he said. "Satisfaction is the joy of accomplishments and activities with struggle." Meaning, he added, comes from understanding one's purpose in life and why that life matters.

For three decades, Brooks has asked young people two questions: Why are you alive? And for what would you happily give your life right now?

Historically, about 15% of his students couldn't answer both questions, he said. Since 2008, that percentage has climbed to 50%.

Brooks connects the shift partly to smartphones, which he says the average American now checks 205 times a day. Devices can relieve momentary boredom, he said, but they also crowd out reflection and opportunities to connect.

"If you eradicate moment-to-moment boredom, your life will be boring," Brooks said. "If you don't eradicate the boredom moment to moment, your life will be interesting."

His advice isn't to abandon technology. "You don't have to throw your phone in the ocean," he said. Instead, he recommends three phone-free periods each day: the first hour after waking, during meals and the last hour before bed. Exercising without headphones or commuting in silence can also make room to think.

Brooks' message holds particular relevance this fall for St. Thomas' first-year students, who are reading his latest book, “The Meaning of Your Life: Finding Purpose in an Age of Emptiness.”

Vischer asked what experiences Brooks would make essential if he were building a university from scratch. Brooks pointed to the friendships students make and the conversations they share, recalling how students once spent evenings discussing questions as big as whether God exists. Such conversations, he suggested, are harder to sustain when everyone turns to a phone.

"The best thing that we can possibly do is recreate the ecosystem of actual in-person human bonding while people are actually learning and developing their brains," said Brooks, whose visit was sponsored by the university's College of Arts and Sciences with support from the Mike and Linda Fitterman Foundation.

Brooks described three elements of meaning: coherence, understanding why things happen as they do; purpose, having a sense of direction; and significance, knowing why one's life matters and to whom.

"Human beings need to be needed," Brooks said. "The essence of dignity is to be needed. The essence of despair is to be unnecessary, to be superfluous."

The pursuit of meaning also shapes how St. Thomas approaches education, Vischer said.

"On the first day of orientation, I tell all entering St. Thomas students that St. Thomas is not a career prep program," Vischer said. "We're very good at preparing you for careers and we've got great employment numbers, but our aspiration is so much broader and deeper than that. Our goal is to equip and empower you for lifelong flourishing. We're in the business of formation."

Drawing on St. Thomas Aquinas, for whom the university is named, Brooks identified money, power, pleasure and fame as four pursuits that can become substitutes for genuine happiness.

"The people who are most unfortunate are the ones who succeed and their dreams come true, and they realize they had the wrong dreams," he said.

He recalled interviewing a highly successful Wall Street executive who had grown distant from her family and faith. Asked why she hadn't changed course, she told him: "I guess I've always chosen to be special rather than happy."

Brooks recognized that same tendency in himself. As a CEO, he recalled spending long hours at the office rather than with his young children.

"They were little and they grew up and I missed a lot of it," he said.

Despite such regrets and the challenges facing young adults today, Brooks believes people have the power to change course. When Vischer asked what gave him hope for the future, Brooks emphasized that capacity to act.

"Hope means something can be done and I can do it," Brooks said.

"I look at young people today, and I see the most untapped potential of anything I've ever seen," he added. "Are there problems? Absolutely. But if we can harness that potential and provide the opportunities and the examples, then my hope will turn into wholesale optimism."

The student shown in a video that began circulating widely on social media last week has decided to withdraw from St. Thomas. The university is sharing this information at the request of the student and her family.

Additionally, the following statement from the student has been included at her request:

I want to sincerely apologize for my actions during the situation with the protesters. What I said and did was wrong, and I understand that my actions caused hurt and disappointment. Regardless of the circumstances, I should have handled the situation with respect, and I take full responsibility for my behavior. I am truly sorry.

I understand that everyone has the right to express their opinions, even when we disagree. My actions did not reflect the respect and understanding that others deserve, and I recognize the importance of acknowledging the harm my words and actions can cause.

I understand that my actions have consequences, and I take responsibility for that. I know I have a lot to learn from this experience, and I am committed to educating myself and better understanding how my words and actions affect others. I sincerely apologize to those I have hurt or disappointed, and I will use this experience as an opportunity to grow and do better moving forward.

St. Thomas is an institution whose mission and identity are rooted in the Catholic intellectual tradition and Church teaching. St. Thomas’ mission calls the university to build and steward a community in which every person is welcome, respected and treated with dignity. We encourage all members of our community to take accountability when their actions do not live up to these values. We further condemn the actions by those outside our community who have engaged in threats of violence, intimidation and harassment. Civil dialogue, critical thinking, the search for truth and care for the human person are the values that should always guide us as a university.

From the story:
“When I think about what’s next, we also need to look at not just listening to families, also thinking about what those schools meant. Schools are not just a site for learning, many times, they are a site for meals, for food, certainly for community, and for a lot of children’s stability,” she said.

Smith Kondo said if the district closes schools, they will need to make sure teachers have the resources to help students navigate changes.

She said every family wants stability, and sometimes you can get through consolidation because those funds can be reallocated.

“My hope is that when those resources are consolidated, more programs are available,” she said.

Smith Kondo said those resources could be more resources for special education, offering advanced college-level courses, learning opportunities, activities, and teacher stability.

Klein transformed part of it into a bookcase for his debut solo art exhibition, “Littorally,” which is displayed in the Sustainability Arts Gallery on the first floor of the O'Shaughnessy Education Center. The sculpture, titled “Auto Bibliography,” holds books that shaped his relationship with water. The literature ranges from religious texts and poetry to Indigenous perspectives on the environment.

Klein, a professor of justice and peace studies and chair of the Department of Justice and Society Studies in the College of Arts and Sciences, uses art to explore the intersection of identity, culture and nature.

“Much of the art I create is about trying to address or process things that I can't quite do linearly,” Klein said. “The boat, to me, is an expression of those three things and where they intersect.”

Klein’s art is not separate from his academic work. He uses creative practice in his teaching and research to examine how people form relationships, understand social and environmental challenges and imagine ways to respond. His new research examines how art, craft and community-based education can strengthen democratic life.

In the spring, he will teach JPST 225 Making Art for Social Justice. “Although it is not new this year, I will take a new focus on water as the subject of our art making and learning,” he said.

"Littorally" currently serves as a teaching tool across several disciplines, including history, theology and Klein’s course on Leadership for Social Justice. The exhibition also includes “Littorally Reflect” in the John P. Monahan Gallery on south campus, examining ancestral ties to the water and land.

“This area of land is known by Dakota people as Mnisina, ‘blanket of water,’” Klein said. “This metaphor of a littoral waterway that was altered, renamed, and buried might help us uncover stories that have been literally neglected or erased.”

Bria Schmitz '28, an actuarial science major in Klein's qualitative methods course who visited the Sustainability Arts Gallery for a class assignment, said examining the artwork challenged her to separate observations from interpretations.

“I found myself getting lost in my own theories about the piece instead of being able to fully describe what I was seeing,” Schmitz said.

Klein’s exhibition includes hand-carved wooden sculptures, historical maps and interactive activities where he invites visitors to examine their relationship with water, confront its complicated history and consider their responsibility to protect it.

“The exhibit did change my perspective of water because of the insight it gave me into how other people view it,” Schmitz said.

Klein developed his relationship with water during trips to the Boundary Waters with his father.

“Much of my work as a peace studies professor [and] my activism in community really stems back to early experiences with my family,” he said.

Family roots become both metaphor and material throughout the exhibition, which incorporates 16 varieties of natural wood, including maple, oak, birch and aspen sourced in Minnesota when possible. He primarily uses linseed oil instead of paints, stains and toxic finishes to reduce the environmental impact of his materials.

For instance, his sculpture “Monkeywrench,” which is inspired by Edward Abbey's 1975 novel The Monkey Wrench Gang, raises questions about how far people should go to protect water. Two threats to water, Klein said, are data centers, which use excessive amounts of fresh water to cool the servers, and agriculture runoff.

In Minnesota, the issue is prevalent as nearly 75% of the state’s population rely on  groundwater for their drinking water while programs are failing to reduce nitrate pollution caused by agriculture runoff, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council.

“By provoking a deeper understanding and connection to water, hopefully more people will understand the weight of what it would be like without it and thus the importance of protecting it,” said Claire Bymers ’28, president of the undergraduate Sustainability Club.

Bymers attended the exhibit’s opening night with fellow club members and learned about the history of water beneath the St. Thomas campus, including the former Lake Mennith.

One historical map in the exhibition shows a stream running beneath campus, connecting the university's landscape to Shadow Falls and the Mississippi River.

“Dr. Klein's [exhibition] is a great way to encourage viewers to think about how pervasive and integral water is and has been in life,” said Bymers, who is a double major in economics and data analytics.

“‘Littorally’ is one of those exhibits that makes you think more about something that seems mundane to everyday life,” said Susan Mbu '28, a double major in biology and justice and peace studies.

With “Littorally Reflect” in the Monahan Gallery, guests can sit on a fallen tree, browse books and watch footage of a waterfall while listening to the sounds of nature.

In the Sustainability Arts Gallery, visitors can create their own watercolor artwork and display it on one of three curtains labeled “Waters Past,” “Waters Present” and “Waters Future.”

Students have already contributed pieces reflecting their families' histories, their present relationships with water and their hopes and concerns for the future.

“The responses were relatively constant across time periods and showed how our reliance on water as a species will never really change,” Schmitz said.

Klein's sculpture “Seed,” which concludes the sequence of his artwork, offers a metaphor for that relationship. Just as a seed draws nourishment from its roots to support new growth, Klein hopes people will draw lessons from the past to shape a better future.

He sees the visitors' artwork as a continuation of that process, transforming the exhibition into a conversation that extends beyond his own sculptures.

“We're inviting people to be able to come to the exhibit and make their own art,” Klein said, “to contribute to the exhibit and add to our dialog about the meaning of water in our lives.”

Klein will discuss the exhibition during an artist talk Nov. 12 from 6-7:30 p.m. in Owens Science Hall Auditorium. The “Littorally” project will be on view through Dec. 18, 2026.

Nguyen was among the 952 attending the University of St. Thomas Fall Career Fair, where more than 120 employers across a wide range of industries came to St. Thomas to meet students seeking internships, full-time positions and opportunities to grow their professional networks.

The strong alumni presence stood out at the fair. Alumni recruiters wore badge ribbons marked “alumni,” giving students an immediate connection to a fellow Tommie who once stood where they do now.

"The alumni network is very crucial for me,” said Nguyen ’28, who is majoring in entrepreneurship and minoring in marketing. “There was a class where I wanted to learn more about operations and supply chain, and I was interested in the role, but I didn't have anyone to actually ask about their experiences. So, I went to the alumni network online and connected with them.” 

With more than 120,000 alumni in the St. Thomas network, students and graduates frequently connect and support one another professionally. In fact, 80% of St. Thomas graduates have completed at least one internship while enrolled at the university. 

Throughout the year, St. Thomas provides a wide range of career-building experiences and opportunities to connect students with potential employers and alumni.

 

The College of Engineering’s annual Meet the Engineers reverse career fair is one example. Unlike the traditional career fair, students set up displays of highlighting their projects, experiences, and skills, while employers come to the students to explore potential opportunities. About 90 companies participated this year, with some alumni among the recruiters. 

“I'm looking to network with people and start the process of talking to companies,” said Hillary Festvog ’27, who attended both career fairs. “Seeing people who are alumni at the career fairs really tells me that it's sort of worth applying to them in the first place, because it means that somebody likes the company enough to recruit more people from where they went to school.” 

Meet the Engineers, internships and networking opportunities give students a chance to showcase their skills as well as how a St. Thomas education contributes to their formation.

“We do really well placing our students in jobs, but we are here to equip and empower our students for lifelong flourishing,” said St. Thomas President Rob Vischer during his panel discussion at the Minnesota Star Tribune’s North Star Summit in September.

For example, Festvog, a mechanical engineering major, is also minoring in sustainability. She spent summer 2026 as an R&D Sustaining Engineering intern at Turck USA.  Nguyen, who serves as vice president of the St. Thomas Marketing Club, earned second place at the Schulze School of Entrepreneurship Business Plan Competition at the Opus College of Business. Her team’s venture, RE:BORN, collects donated clothing, recycles it into new fabric through partners, and sells limited-edition apparel online. 

The early networking, combined with the quality of a St. Thomas education, pays off. Nearly 98% of St. Thomas graduates are employed, continuing education or pursuing other goals within six months of graduation (based on information gathered from 1,072 graduates). 

But Vischer said career preparation also means helping students think about “meaning and purpose and a sense of calling and how their gifts may align with the needs of the world.”

Please know the university began looking into this incident as soon as it became aware. While student privacy laws prevent us from publicly discussing matters such as these, we can share the language heard in the video is inconsistent with the university’s values and convictions. As a Catholic university, we have a responsibility to provide a welcoming environment for all and do not condone hateful language being used by anyone in our university community.

We assure the community that the university takes this incident seriously and is addressing it in accordance with the student code of conduct.

As always, our first priority is supporting our students. To our Tommies, we hear you and will continue providing support and working to build a university community that respects the dignity of each person.

From the article:
And the two events together have brought the issue of the death penalty – something that has for decades taken place in hidden rooms inside mostly rural prisons – back into the forefront of Americans’ minds.

“What we’re seeing is the brutality of the institution of the death penalty coming back into public focus,” said Mark Osler, a law professor at the University of St. Thomas in Minneapolis who has studied the death penalty. “Tennessee didn’t intend to do that; the federal government does.”

“Given that there has been a rise in executions,” he added, “it’s a good time to have that debate.”

From the story:
Despite the heavy scrutiny, judges rarely deny warrant applications. A study analyzed 33,000 warrant applications over three years in Utah. It found 98% eventually were approved and 93% were approved on the first submission. That approval rate didn’t surprise Jonas.

“There’s no requirement on how much time the judge spends reading law enforcement’s affidavit or that the judge does any individual investigation, him or herself,” she said. “I think they tend to believe law enforcement has done its job; they’ve investigated this case as far as they can without searching this person’s home, now we’re going to give a great deal of deference to law and enforcement.”

If a search warrant application is denied, Jonas says it’s usually because witness statements, especially from confidential informants, weren’t properly verified.

Once law enforcement submits the application, the potential approval comes back quickly.  

“There are judges on call 24/7, so law enforcement goes in with an affidavit and the warrant is issued very, very quickly to that same officer who can then go execute it,” Jonas said.

From the conversation:
Matthew Ikeman: So, as you were saying that, I was thinking, what if a customer doesn’t know what they actually need, but they’re calling in trying to do a one-time service, or they have squirrels and they want us to come put mousetraps out or something? So in their mind, they’re like, I’m ready for this. I paid this much before. That’s what I need. At that point we have to bridge the gap, and it’s like a knowledge gap at that point, right?

Mike Porter: It’s an education process. And there’s some percentage, we could make up a percentage, but we don’t know what, there’s some percentage of people that you could try and do all the education you want, and they’re still going to hang up the phone.

Ikeman: They’re going to get frustrated.

Porter: Well they’re going to get frustrated with you. There are other people who are going to go, oh, really? And perhaps the conversation starts with, ma'am, I could do that. I could put mousetraps out to try and get rid of the squirrels, but I don’t want to charge you for that because it’s not going to do anything. It’s not going to take care of the problem because squirrels aren’t going to get caught in the mousetraps.

Ikeman: No, this is what you actually need. Here’s our process, the way we’re going to solve your problem that I’m hearing you communicate, because whoever’s answering the phone should be able to understand what the real problem is, right?

Porter: And by saying, I don’t want your money because I don’t want to take your money if it’s not going to satisfy your need. That’s not the business that we run. We run our business on taking care of the issues and the problems.

Ikeman: Ethics.

Porter: Well, and it’s just good salesmanship. Trust. I’m teaching a class in professional selling right now.

From the article:
“My heart is so full of gratitude. I’m humbled to be on the journey and accompany our scholars,” Smith said. “They are transformational leaders who are well positioned to change their lives, their communities, and the world, for good.”  ...

DFC has built a reputation for creating an environment for success in higher education for promising students from diverse and low-income communities.

“College was not in my plans. It was for those who had money, those who knew the language,” said Cesar Mendez.

Enrolling at DFC changed the course of Mendez’s life and future. After graduating in 2021 from DFC with his associate degree, he went on to earn both bachelors and master’s degrees; today he is the Restorative Justice and Diversion Coordinator for Hennepin County.

“Now I’m using my education to help others,” he said.

DFC’s “special sauce” for creating success for its students lies in its wraparound support services involving small classes, tutoring, mentorship and paid internships. DFC students get free books, laptops, meals and transportation assistance as part of their enrollment in the private college. 

“These students are dreaming so big. That’s exciting!” said Kelly Wolle of Minneapolis. A supporter of the program, she attended the celebration and applauded the staff, faculty and students for their achievements.