![Mount students enjoying ice cream at the college’s recent Sundaes with the Dominicans event.](https://msmc.s3.amazonaws.com/files/news/classic-xxsml-dc-icecream-0045.jpg)
Students got the scoop on the history and heritage of Mount Saint Mary College on Tuesday, September 21, while enjoying ice cream sundaes with all the toppings.
![](https://msmc.s3.amazonaws.com/files/resources/small-dc-icecream-0017.jpg)
At "Sundaes with the Dominicans", Charles Zola, director of the Mount's Catholic and Dominican Institute, assistant to the President for Mission Integration, and associate professor of Philosophy, discussed the four pillars of Dominican life on which Mount Saint Mary College was founded: study, spirituality, service, and community.
Following in the footsteps of St. Dominic, the Dominican Sisters of Newburgh established the Mount as a four-year institution 60-plus years ago. The Mount continues its rich tradition of academic excellence and dedication to service to this day, and the four pillars of Dominican life are still as integral to the Mount experience as they were six decades ago.
The event was hosted by the Catholic Dominican Institute, which promotes the Mount's heritage of St. Dominic, advances the Dominican charism of study and service, provides a forum for discussion of contemporary ethical issues, and enhances Catholic and Jewish dialogue. The Institute welcomes persons of varied faiths and acknowledges different religious traditions as essential to the college's intellectual and spiritual life.