President David A Armstrong, J.D. with Jennifer Bravo (’15)

The More Store opened on August 11 and celebrated the following week with a ribbon cutting with the Northern Kentucky Chamber and the Cincinnati Chamber. Due to the College’s move to create a new textbook initiative, the campus bookstore underwent a transition this summer and now offers students much more variety in its offerings.

In an ongoing effort to provide a student-centric experience, the naming of the new campus bookstore was offered to the students in the form of a contest. In May, students were sent an email asking them to participate in a naming contest. As the May 21 deadline arrived, two entries with the same name were received. Ellen Walling (’14) and Jennifer Bravo (’15) were notified that their name had been selected and they both won gift cards to the bookstore.

Ellen Walling ’14 is currently a teacher and was pleased to hear that The More Store was selected as the name of the new bookstore. She thought a name that reflected that the store now has “more” to offer the students, eliminating the need to go off-campus for certain items, would be most appropriate.

Jennifer Bravo shared with Moreover how she came up the the name The More Store. She is someone who has a clear enthusiasm for Thomas More College and takes advantage of any opportunity she can to get involved, which is evident in her position as the Vice President of the Student Government Association. She doesn’t look at her involvement as a chore or a duty, but something she truly enjoys.

“I thought the contest was cool. I started thinking about our namesake, Thomas More, and which naturally led me to the thought that we’re trying to give “more” to the students by developing this new bookstore.” She thinks its great that the bookstore provides so many products that students can purchase instead of having to leave campus to visit a drugstore. Jennifer said, “One thought I had was, ‘We are doing this for the students– it’s a double meaning – instead of just books, we’re doing something ‘more’ with this bookstore.”

Jennifer said, “I was really excited for the bookstore to open; since this is my first year living off campus, I was checking social media accounts to find out the opening date and see the ‘sneak peek’ pictures.” The convenience of the bookstore items will be great for those living in the residence halls, but still benefical for commuters who may need to pick up drugstore items or snacks while they are on campus.

Much hard work was devoted to creating a new bookstore. Erin Garnick, bookstore manager, worked hard to select attractive apparel and fill the store with high-demand items. Several students used their artistic talents to paint Saints and TMC murals on its walls. Additional artwork will be completed in the coming months. The following students collectively worked on the murals: Jaime Maley (junior, Art major), Karen Cress (junior, Art major), Mamee Salzer (junior, Art major), and Megan Bohman (senior, Math major).

Several TMC staff members also played a big part in getting The More Store ready for its opening. Ken Hanrahan from the Facilities Department did an excellent job with the cabinetry and carpentry inside the store. Doug Parker, head of the Facilities Department, had everyone in place when they were needed. Lisa Scheper and Amy Flaugher from the Office Services Department even helped tag clothes for display.

To learn more about The More Store or to place an online order, please visit www.thomasmore.edu/bookstore.

Representatives from Thomas More College & the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce took part in the ribbon cutting