Wabash Conservative Union » August 2009

The Phoenix Mission

C. Austin Rovenstine '10 — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 20:03:16 +0000

One of the great pleasures of editing a publication at Wabash is receiving letters from alumni. Wabash alums are a special group — more engaged, more interested, and more passionate about their alma mater and the students who currently reside there than, I am convinced, any group of graduates from any other school.

I recently exchanged emails with one particular alumnus who was frustrated with The Phoenix’s proclamation to be the “voice of,” but inability to clearly define, the conservative movement at Wabash. Since I and a number of other writers are evangelical Christians, he charged, we should call ourselves something more along the lines of “the voice of the conservative movement as seen through evangelical eyes.” To claim to encompass all factions of conservatism, he said, is to put yourself under a “preposterously large roof,” housing contradictory ideologies that do not belong together.

Well, we will not be changing our magazine’s tagline anytime soon, but that alumnus did bring up an important point. The marriage between cultural and fiscal conservatives, not to mention the foreign policy hawks and doves that both now claim the “conservative” mantle, is often one more of convenience than of conviction. It is most likely born of our American two-party system — by an inability of the individual factions to win an election without forming a coalition with the others. The result of this is that in times of power, the collective conservative movement does not know what it stands for — but in times of opposition, it certainly knows what it stands against.

Luckily for us, these are times of opposition for the conservative movement. The members of the Wabash Conservative Union — the student group that publishes The Phoenix — are intellectually diverse and incessantly argumentative, but still united by a common opposition to the push for progressivism seen all across our county, and especially here at Wabash College. I hope that this back-to-school issue of The Phoenix will give you a good sense of our mission and our style. And I hope that after reading it, you will consider joining our cause. Our coalition is large and growing, and we still have plenty of room for you.

For over two years now, the Wabash Conservative Union has united a variety of different conservative views in a common mission, under a common mission statement:

The Phoenix, a student-run publication of the Wabash Conservative Union, seeks to promote intellectual conservatism on the campus of Wabash College through thoughtful debate and civil discourse. Following the best traditions of the conservative movement, The Phoenix will attack ideas, not people, and will do so with both honesty and integrity.

Central to our mission is an aim to focus on ideas and to do so with intelligence and respect. The conservative movement at Wabash has not always followed that model. Throughout much of the 1990s, conservatism at Wabash was tainted by hostility and vitriol. Professors were targeted for their lifestyles, and their families were attacked. One issue of the old conservative publication featured a photo of a professor with his head in crosshairs. Another labeled a professor’s wife “fat and ugly.” The relationship between conservative students and their liberal professors became a paranoid one. That culture began to change in the 2000s, but the alumni who had created that culture did not. It was in large part this disconnect between students and young alumni which led to the founding of the Wabash Conservative Union and The Phoenix.

The Wabash Conservative Union was founded in March of 2007, following a schism with The Wabash Commentary and The Foundation for a Traditional Wabash, Ltd. — the alumni-led fundraising organization which had previously chosen the Commentary’s student leadership. On March 20, following the Foundation’s decision to oust the Commentary’s Editor-in-Chief Brandon Stewart, the majority of the student members of the organization successfully petitioned the Student Senate to recognize their club as independent of the Foundation, changing the club name from The Wabash Commentary to the Wabash Conservative Union. Within a matter of weeks, the newly-independent, student-run group had published the inaugural issue of The Phoenix.

If you want to have an impact on campus through the written word, The Phoenix is the publication for you. In September of 2007, we exposed the poor treatment of the American flag on the College mall and led the charge to install a spotlight so the flag could fly 24 hours a day. The lighting you see on the flag today is the result of our efforts.

In December 2007, we exposed the disturbing history of Malcolm X Institute guest speaker, Ron Karenga, who was once convicted of torturing two women. Our article resulted in a campus-wide discussion on man whose history, up until our exposé, had been strangely unknown to many students at Wabash.

We have closely followed important happenings at Wabash, including the development of the Strategic Plan. In February of 2008, we called attention to the vague and sometimes troubling language in the initial drafts for the plan, influencing the debate on the topic. By the time the first official drafts were released, most of the troubling language was removed.

In the past year, we have had even more of an impact on campus and have remained an important part of the campus discourse. In the fall of 2008, after the tragic, alcohol-related death of an underage Wabash freshman, the College made the decision to close down the Delta Tau Delta fraternity, citing a “culture and practice of ungentlemanly behavior,” and claiming that “a gentleman always follows the law.” The Phoenix responded with its own investigation of the Wabash College administration and found that they themselves had been violating the law — specifically the Jean Clery Act — by not keeping a log of crimes that occur at Wabash, including underage drinking. We exposed how the College’s failure to record crimes at Wabash led to lax security and unnecessary pain.

Not wanting to dwell in the pains of the past, we then turned our focus forward by offering our advice on how the College could move past the troubles of 2008. Our March 2009 issue zeroed in on the Admissions Department, where the recruiting and admitting of new students can have a profound impact on student culture.

Our Wabash Conservative Union events program is another influential means of promoting conservatism at Wabash, and another example of our intellectual diversity. In the past, our speakers have included Iranian expert Kamran Beigi, who advocated a tough policy toward that country and predicted the burgeoning freedom movement we see today; Civil Rights Institute President Ward Connerly, who made his case against affirmative action; National Review writer and syndicated columnist Jonah Goldberg, who lectured on his book, Liberal Fascism; conservative feminist Christina Hoff Sommers, who spoke of gender bias against America’s young men; author Paul Kengor, who lectured on how Ronald Reagan and Catholics won the Cold War; former Virginia GOP Chair and Fox News analyst Kate Obenshain, who gave a feisty talk defending the McCain-Palin ticket just before the 2008 election; and Foundation for Individual Rights in Education speaker Adam Kissel, who led a discussion on student rights following the Wabash administration’s decision to close down Delta Tau Delta last year.

Last semester’s events program was also exciting and relevant. We first hosted nationally syndicated talk radio host Tammy Bruce, who argued that “conservatism empowers gays, blacks, and women.” Her lecture competed against a ‘shOUT club speaker the previous day, who argued that only collective action can bring true equality. The dueling lectures by two openly gay speakers provided for a good campus debate on minority rights.

We then hosted Curt Levey, Executive Director of the Committee for Justice — a Washington-based interest group dedicated to promoting conservative judges on the federal bench. Just before the Sotomayor nomination, Levey predicted that Obama would pick a woman, and probably a Hispanic, to serve on the high court, though he ironically claimed that Sotomayor herself was probably “too controversial.”

Our third and final speaker was Dr. Peter Kreeft, a renowned philosopher and prolific author, who delivered his “Refutation of Moral Relativism,” a philosophic dissection of a set of assumptions that are at the foundation of modern liberalism.

An events program that can include a conservative, feminist, lesbian, the head of a strict constructionist Washington interest group, and a conservative Catholic philosopher indicates a broad coalition indeed!

And we plan to kick off the coming semester’s events program with a timely discussion on identity politics. On October 29, we will host Mr. Joseph C. Phillips, a former Cosby Show actor and conservative political commentator whose book, He Talk Like a White Boy, delves into the complexities of a life experience that represents a small but significant portion of the black community — those who are conservatives. The event is certain to be informative and thought-provoking for the entire campus.

And there are many more very exciting plans in the works. We will keep you updated in the pages of The Phoenix and on our website, www.WabashUnion.org, (or, for those of you who are even more technologically savvy, on our Twitter page, www.twitter.com/WabashUnion).

So enjoy this issue, come to our events, and please look for our call-out meeting and consider joining our cause. These are exciting times to be a conservative, especially here at Wabash. If you are a conservative of any stripe, and you agree with the language of our mission statement, then we will be happy to have you join us. In these times of opposition, our organization is strong, our membership is growing, and our roof is “preposterously large.”

The Fraternity System: Its Place at Wabash College

Ben Williams '11 — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 19:56:48 +0000

On my first visit to Wabash College as a high school senior I thought I knew right away the greatness of this place. One thing I was not sure about, however, was the Greek system at this beloved institution. Everyone as they grow up hears stories about what it is like being in a fraternity and how horrible pledgeships are. I, for one, committed to Wabash with absolutely no intention of being a “frat boy”, as my old high school friends now like to call me. When I came back to Wabash a second time for honors scholar week, I was told I would be staying in a fraternity for the weekend. Although a sense of excitement overcame me when I found out I was going to be hanging out at a fraternity all weekend, I still went into the weekend having no intention of joining one. This idea of me not joining a fraternity changed after I walked through the door of the house I was staying at. The magic of being taken in and accepted by a brotherhood of “college” guys was overwhelming. I immediately fell in love with the fraternity system at Wabash without even knowing more than that everyone happened to be really nice. Eventually I accepted a bid from that fraternity and through pledgeship became an active brother. Although the initial euphoria wore off as I got deeper into the Greek lifestyle, it was quickly replaced by the deep sense of respect and love I started to feel for the great tradition and brotherhood that I was now part of.
When discussing the Greek system at Wabash College the first issue that must be brought up is the differences between us and them, or more specifically, between Wabash fraternities and those of other schools. The most immediate difference one will find is how Wabash conducts its Rush process. As we all know, Wabash fraternities open Rush to incoming freshmen in March of their senior year, before they are even out of high school. This is obviously quite different from other universities. Although I earlier wrote of the magic of Wabash Rush, I cannot overlook how difficult and unsettling it can be for someone not even out of high school yet to make such a big decision that will effect the rest of his life. It can be and for the most part should be a difficult decision. Other universities around us such as IU do not begin their Rush until several weeks into first semester. And everyone knows about our foes to the south, who allow their freshmen a whole semester to ease in to their new surroundings before they can Rush. Although it is tough to make a decision as big as becoming a pledge at a particular fraternity in such a short amount of time, it works well with the type of lifestyle that one will live here at Wabash. At Wabash, where the lack of the opposite sex is constantly felt, the word brotherhood gains a whole new meaning, and having the Rush process start as early as it does helps cater to the brotherhood of Wabash in general as well as the brotherhood one will find within the walls of a fraternity. Beginning Rush in March gives a future freshman that much more time to become acquainted with not only a lot of future freshmen but also with a lot of current students of Wabash. This of course can help freshmen adjust better to the lifestyle a Wabash man chooses to lead, which by no means is an easy one.
Now that I mention how difficult it is to lead the life of a Wabash student I will go into the next immediate difference between us and them, which is where freshmen live after they decide to pledge a fraternity. Outsiders find it quite odd when they learn that pledges begin living in their respective fraternity house the day they move on to campus. This is obviously different from other schools in which freshmen do not begin to live in their fraternity house until they are active brothers, most of the time not even until their sophomore year. Although there is no real reason that I know of for why freshmen begin their Wabash experience in the fraternity house other than that it has always been done that way and that it makes it much simpler for the administration to place all the freshmen in respectable housing, the product that results is pretty amazing. Once again the word brotherhood comes into play. Much like Rush, starting out in the fraternity house right away gives a whole new meaning to brotherhood that only a Wabash student can know. As one soon learns, most of the fraternities at Wabash have a special room just for freshmen to sleep called the cold dorm. Trust that nothing brings a pledge class closer together than living in one big room together for a year.
Now we have a rudimentary understanding of how fraternities at Wabash are different than other schools’ fraternities. I must press how important the fraternities really are to both the college and to us students. Without the Greek system at Wabash the college would have a very difficult time attracting new students to the campus. From the time a prospective student first visits this beautiful campus to the time he moves in on freshmen Saturday, the fraternities are constantly on showcase. And it seems that Greek life at Wabash is always a point of discussion with prospective students, amongst other things such as our great academics or how crazy Dr. Webb really is. The fraternities are one of the greatest if not the greatest attraction Wabash has to offer. The great traditions along with the congenial and brotherly attitude that the fraternities offer give the college the swagger that it requires to be the great institution it really is. The fraternities of Wabash also reach out far beyond the boundaries of campus. Whether freshmen pledges are out knocking doors raising money for Muffy, or a group of brothers devotes a Saturday to help put a new roof on a house for Habitat for Humanity, the fraternities have a profound effect on the community around Wabash as well.
Once one becomes a legitimate part of the Wabash family he will learn how important the fraternities are to so many students on campus, and how the fraternities literally help them make it through their time here at Wabash. In his article “A Perspective On Fraternities” my fellow Phoenix writer Jake Nettnay wrote that the fraternities of Wabash help students form their own “safety nets” through their newly found brothers. I must commend Jake on making this astute observation. Whether a student is having family problems, girl problems, or academic problems, the support he can find in his particular house can help him through anything he may face as a young man.
As Russell Kirk once said, “The past is a great storehouse of wisdom.” As a conservative publication, we here at The Phoenix believe along with Mr. Kirk that being guided by the wisdom of those wise men that have been in our position before is paramount for success. Therefore I will now offer a couple words of advice that I found useful when they were told to me as a freshmen. First, as a freshman you ought to open yourself to the Wabash community. As I have written to the point of exhaustion in this article, Wabash is a brotherhood, and the sooner one recognizes that the sooner he will be able to reap the benefits of being a student here. Secondly, although you are now a Wabash man, remember that you are a freshman. There is a whole campus full of bright gentlemen who have simply been here longer and understand how things should be better than a freshman might. So in the end, although you are fully a part of this beloved Wabash community, remember to respect those who have been around longer than you. You can learn a lot and be better off simply by observing those upperclassmen around you.
I will never be able to make a totally accurate observation of how important the Greek system is to Wabash and how close it is to the hearts of all the students. Something that sacred simply cannot be put into words. These words are meant only to help a new member of the Wabash community better understand how important the presence of these fraternities really are and how without them Wabash would not be what it is today. Always remember that by making the choice to become a Wabash student you have openly accepted the road less traveled. Being a Wabash man is not easy, but it is certainly worth it. The same goes with the Greek system of this institution: it certainly by no means is easy to handle all the time, but it truly is worth it.

Keeping the Faith: Religious Opportunities at Wabash

Bob Cassady '12 — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 19:52:13 +0000

The transition to college is very difficult for incoming freshmen in more ways than can be counted. To begin, you are separated from your family and friends, living in a new place, eating different food, meeting new people, and to top it all off, you are a student at Wabash College. If you have not figured it out yet, you will realize, come your first week of tests, that this is not your average college.

In addition to the aforementioned burdens, I think one other challenge presents itself in the first few weeks of school: keeping the faith. Whether you are Muslim, Christian, Hindu or any other religion, you will certainly be tested as you embark upon your college career.

It seems to me that college is a pretty good litmus test of one’s faith. You arrive at school nervous and excited, wanting to try new things and encounter novel ideas and people. These are wonderful ambitions, which Wabash will certainly fulfill, but being thrown into the midst of so much that is foreign can be unsettling. It can dislocate you from the familiar and often healthy ways of life that you maintained before venturing into the ever-so-mysterious life that is college. As your life is filled with so much new, something old must move to the periphery of your focus. Unfortunately, more often than not, practicing your faith is the first to go.

I write this article as a crutch for all of those who are on that perilous tight rope of keeping the faith while beginning college. I promise you that many of your fellow classmates are experiencing the same struggle or have previously. So my aim is to introduce the different avenues for you to continue practicing your religion on campus.

The Muslim Students Association, according to the Wabash website, “aims to raise awareness of Islam on campus and to dispel commonly held misconceptions of this great world religion.” The group meets in the Mosque in the basement of Martindale Hall at 12:45 p.m. on Fridays for a prayer service. They also use presentations, videos and lectures to accomplish their mission.

Wabash Christian Men has its roots in Athletes in Action and Campus Crusade for Christ. They have very close ties to Campus Crusade for Christ, but are still student-run. They are a non-denominational Christian group that is open to all Christians and all those interested in Christianity, and they are more than happy to answer any questions. The mission of WCM is to turn Wabash men into Christ-centered laborers. They are trying to balance evangelism with a focus on building firm foundations in walks through Bible studies, discipleship, and regular fellowship. Their regularly scheduled activities are meetings every Wednesday at 9 p.m., football cookouts and bible-studies coordinated by living units. They also hold an after party the night of the national act. The largest activity that WCM participates in is the Christmas Conference in Indianapolis where hundreds of college students meet to worship, learn and do good works.

The Wabash College Newman Center is a student run Catholic organization. They “…pledge to serve Christ through His Most Holy Church, forgetting thyself always, without fear of sacrifice, no matter the cost or penalty.” The club organizes a number of activities throughout the semester in order to accomplish their mission. As the Holy Eucharist is the center of Catholic life, the Newman center works to hold mass in the Pioneer Chapel every other Sunday. On the Sundays when mass is not held on campus, they organize carpools to the local Catholic Church, St. Bernard’s. The club also seeks to nourish their members’ faith by offering opportunities for service of the elderly, bible studies, book readings and hosting numerous speakers. The Newman Center is open to people of all faiths and is ready to discuss theological issues with all people of good will.

All of the above listed organizations were created to serve the students of Wabash College, and they are all eager to accept new members. Be sure to pay attention in the first week of school for their individual call out meetings.

Wabash is an incredible place with the power to help you grow intellectually, physically, and most importantly spiritually. You might think that you are coming to a “public” school, but with a history steeped in religion like Wabash has, it is impossible not to experience faith in some way here. In addition to the organizations described above, you will find issues and instances of faith in the classroom, living units and dining halls. My advice to you is to be open to religion while you are here, and if someone instigates religious conversation, do not shy away. Allow yourself to be challenged, and seek truth.

Dearest Incoming Rethugs,

Adam Current '11 — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 19:48:48 +0000

A few months ago Change came to our country. Anxious Progressives freed the suspected terrorists, plunged our country into massive debt, and elected Perez Hilton as a questioner in the Miss American Pageant. And now, we find ourselves in the midst of a liberal (arts) college. How can a Conservative possibly survive in this type of environment?

Consider this page your crash course in being a Conservative at Wabash College. By following these six simple steps, standing out from the leagues of Obamanites (I mean, the majority) will be easier than stealing a recount in Minnesota. Who knows? Your sincerity may even land you a spot in this year’s Bachelor Bucket List!

Stand tall, denizens of Faux Noise: The bell has rung and your college years have begun.

1. Learn to worship Bob Dylan. (Priority-wise, Dylan should fall way under God, slightly above the free-market, but not above Reagan. NEVER above Reagan!) As Conservatives, it is our job to run as far from innovation as possible. Our music should be no different: By embracing traditional 1960s music, we are holding true to our mantra of no new ideas.

For those wondering, it is anyone’s guess why at Wabash one’s level of Conservatism is directly proportional to one’s fanaticism towards Bob Dylan. (Yes, he is still alive. I saw him in July.) Maybe it’s an unspoken reason why Wabash is so special. I encourage you to research an openly Conservative alumnus and professor who wrote a book about Dylan and his conversion to Christianity. As a personal testimony, the closer I came to know Dylan, the closer I came to know Conservatism.

2. Admit your criticisms on evolution early. For some reason, Darwinists panic and act increasingly indignant when you admit that you do not buy evolution. (Ironic since, if they are right about God not existing, one’s non-belief in Darwinism doesn’t matter. At all.) Trust me: As a proud Young Earther, I have made more people squirm in two years than I graduated high school with. Go ahead: Say it aloud right now! The more time to make people squirm, the better!

I know, I know: I’m scientifically ignorant. And the Daily KOS leans Right. Admitting your views on evolution early will guarantee an abundance of petty name calling, pitting those who are religious about science against those who are religious about religion. People will remember you after stating that a loving God created man. (And yes, I believe man-made global warming is a scam.)

3. Be an isolationist. When you finally admit to being a Bible-loving, Dylan-worshiping, scientifically ignorant Conservative, you will not be invited to parties. This will leave your weekends free to listen to Dylan, while reading Genesis and contemplating Ron Paul.

So what does one do as an isolationist? The answer is simple: Nothing. Take responsibility for your own stuff and act only when attacked. Examples might include launching a massive Martindale-wide email war when discovering a decimeter of hair adorning the bathroom sinks, but it’s not like I’m admitting guilt. Bottom line: Keep to yourself and you might escape email wars.

4. Admit you listen to Rush Limbaugh. This is a fun one! When talking about Rush Limbaugh, you will encounter a select group of people who have never listened to his show, yet foam at the very utterance of his name. They will immediately start hurling hateful insults about his prior drug addiction and lecture you on why Latinos won’t vote Republican. (Rush did drugs after a surgery? Since when have celebrities done drugs?!)

Okay, I lied: This will not make you stand out at all. It will only entertain you when MSNBC isn’t slandering Sarah Palin.

5. Question President Obama. Now when I say ‘question’, I do NOT mean catch a case of Obama Derangement Syndrome (ODS) like Sean Hannity. By question, I mean the exact same thing that liberals considered the highest form of patriotism for eight years; the same thing that is now considered treasonous under liberal reign.

It’s funny how quickly Americans forget the past. Not two years ago, the same Liberals in power (now) were the ones spewing vile bits of verbiage at the President, insisting that being hypercritical was for the good of the country. Not long ago, MSNBC talking heads went ballistic every night, calling the President a fascist, accusing him of defecating all over the Constitution, comparing him to Hitler, and calling for his resignation. (Keith Olbermann slam goes here.) Oh well.

But let me clarify: As long as our nation remains debt-free, the House and Senate have 60 Republican votes, Obama doesn’t apologize for America, and our economy is roaring like in the 20s and 90s (right before the Depression), all will be well.

6. Join the Conservative Union: We are the friendliest bunch of bigots you will ever meet.

Welcome to Wabash.

No related posts.

You’re a Wabash Man Now: Recommendations for the Class of 2013

Steve Henke '12 — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 19:43:37 +0000

I’m going to start this list with the disclaimer that this isn’t all you need to do to be a successful freshman. Hopefullyyou’ve already picked up most of the necessary tips from friends, family, and teachers. These are just a few things that I wish someone would have told me (or, rather, some things I wish I would have retained).

First, you’re already off to a good start. Read campus publications and emails. Not only will you learn about campus opinions and events, but they’ll occasionally offer
vital information if you want to be involved in campus discussions. You’ll learn which publications are worthwhile, so an initial read of an issue can save you time later as you weed out some magazines and commit other publications to memory (Read: The Phoenix).

Second, think then speak. When entering a new atmosphere, you need to survey your surroundings first. In other circles, you can say something stupid and people will ignore it, accept it, or overlook it. This is Wabash, and Wabash men ask, “Why?” While this initially might seem awkward or intrusive (and it’s often a little of both) a community searching for truth provides a deeper, more fulfilling experience.

So rethink your communication strategy. Facebook is for events. Personal wants are for the ads section (http://www2.wabash.edu/classifieds/). The Bachelor is for editorials. We have other publications for eclectic diatribes.

Set your priorities early. Last year, I came in to Wabash with literally nothing on my plate. After catching up on the television shows I’d stopped watching (the start of a love-hate relationship with hulu.com), I fluttered around from activity to activity with no clear direction. This will inevitably happen with a liberal arts degree at a small college with so many opportunities, but try to pick up meaningful activities. Only so much Family Guy can help you achieve your goals.

So ask advice – about everything from everyone. Of course, not everyone’s advice will be relevant, but you’ll learn to discern who knows what. Professors are always great resources. Not only can they help you in class, but they’re actually great, real people worth your time.

Take part in the uniqueness of Wabash at every opportunity. College will be over before you know it (or so you tell me), so you really need to maximize the benefits of your education. Part of this means looking out for Wabash peculiarities and traditions.

Partake in Chapel Sing! Literally, any freshman on campus can join the competition, so support your fraternity/independence! Not only will you become uncomfortably familiar with “Old Wabash,” but you’ll get to know some guys you’re living with pretty well. Fraternities, to the best of my knowledge, compel participation, but Independents are still proudly remembering the day when every Wabash man would sing the fight song.

And, if you really want the full Wabash experience, commit to the Alma Mater Sing, where you show your vocal eloquence to another of Wabash’s classic tunes.

Show up to any given Wabash sporting event (way cooler than your high school). Wear red, come ready to cheer, and learn the everyday traditions that make Wabash what it is. While we’re on the subject of sports, leave the high school letter jacket at home. Everyone and his mother has one, and your former sports team means nothing to most people here. Start wearing a lot of red. This is Wabash, and you are now proud to be one of us. And feel free to ask questions if you don’t get something. I definitely wouldn’t have started avoiding the Arch otherwise.

Go to everything, stick with a couple of things. Coming from the man who went to virtually every call-out meeting, I can say authoritatively that there’s something for everyone on this campus. One of the greatest selling points about Wabash is the student-run activities (some of which I’ll promote at the end of this article). So, if by some horrible twist of fate there isn’t a club that you enjoy, start one. Starting a club is difficult, but grab an older student to help you, and then run with the idea. After witnessing the birth of L.A.S.E.R.T.A.G. and serving under Supreme Commander Sidebottom, I know that anything can happen with motivated individuals working for their goal.

Wabash, and, more specifically, the people you are living with, won’t change you as much as you might think. Sure, they’ll pull you away from the path you’re on, but, more often than not, the Wabash community will enhance certain characteristics you already possess. So now is the time to take a big breath and look at where you’re going in life. If that needs to change, then start looking for who you want to be more like and associate with those people. Not rocket science.

While you’re at it, check out the Career Center. From what I’ve been told, it takes most Wabash students about two years to settle into an excellent job. The Career Center is working to change that statistic. From mock interviews to help getting a real interview, the Career Center is armed with a squadron of capable Peer Advisors (a peerless network) and numerous specialized events to help you define and achieve your goals.

Watch what you consume. Not only is this good for obeying the law (sorry underage beer fans) but it’s pretty important for your health too. While Indiana still ranks ahead of Wisconsin on the healthiness scale, we’re at least the 16th fattest state in the union. And that’s fat – even for Americans. When citizens start being irresponsible in an area of their lives, the government has another excuse to expand behavioral regulation. Now’s the time to set the habits that you’ll have for the rest of your life. Interesting health related side note—coffee has a half-life of six hours, so if you have a cup of coffee at dinner to help with studying, you’ll start a cycle of tension, dependency, and bad breath. (Just sayin’.)

So on to a brief analysis of campus clubs. This list isn’t definitive (I’m not so sophomoric as to think my experience is comprehensive), but it could prove useful to you.

The Wabash Conservative Union/The Phoenix – a solid, likeminded group of guys led by the fearless Cassius Austin Rovenstine. We have Bush-lovers and haters, but we generally all agree that less government is good and responsibility should lie in the hands of individual citizens. Regular meetings and a tri-semester publication. Events are intellectually stimulating and typically followed by some of the headiest conversation on campus (which is saying something).

If you own a Mac, you should attend every Student Mac Users Group (SMUG) meeting you can. Subway plus gloriously relevant computer tips… a great way to spend your Tuesday lunchtime.

The Parliamentary Union is comprised of an extremely talented group of individuals pursuing gentlemanly debate at other colleges. Group regulars are more than willing to help you develop your own speaking and can provide phenomenal assistance. Every Wabash man should give this group a try.

There are two clubs which formed last semester that definitely deserve your attention: the Case Study Club and Mock Trial Club. The Case Study Club meets biweekly to discuss business dilemmas and problem-solving strategy. Combined with a Case Study Competition, this club is a huge asset to a liberal arts education.
Second, the Mock Trial Club, an offshoot of the PreLaw Society, essentially begins a Wabash man’s law education. While larger schools have specialized programs to prepare students, the Mock Trial club utilizes a myriad of resources to prepare for the trial. Highly recommended for anyone with an interest in law, debate, or acting.

Alpha Phi Omega is the service fraternity of Wabash College. Donating a total of $10,000 last year to charity, APO provides the campus with ample opportunities to serve in the local community. From building houses with Habitat for Humanity to walking dogs with the Humane Society, APO does it all.

The Independent Men’s Association (IMA) provides several excellent events throughout the year, from cookouts to a movie on the mall.

Similarly, the MXI provides the campus with a myriad of activities—notably the Soul Food Dinner in the second semester.

In fact, if there’s one thing that the various cultural groups provide this campus without fail, it’s phenomenal food accompanied by informative lectures. While I’m not a member of the Asian Student Society, I will wholeheartedly vouch for their events. Interesting topics accompanied by exotic food. Could any man ask for more? The same goes for Unidos Por Sangre’s excellent Carne Asada. I have personally attended every meeting of the French club that offered food, despite a complete ignorance of the language. While membership to these clubs may be rather niche, they consistently
supply the student body with inclusive opportunities to appreciate foods outside of typical college fare.

Niche clubs flourish on this campus. We have clubs for artists, bowlers, brewers, cigar aficionados, chefs, dorks, journalists, laser warriors, legitimate MMA warriors, outdoorsmen, ping pong ballers, sailors… not to mention the countless academic groups.

You’ll start seeing benefits from the Student Senate soon (if you haven’t already). From funding the clubs to orchestrating events, the Student Senate works to facilitate a healthy student life.

Wabash College is one of the greatest investments you can make in this point in your life. You have the freedom to do as you please. Like putting the United States in the hands of the individual citizens, the success of the entire body is contingent upon the individual members’ personal responsibility. For the rest of your life, you are a Wabash man. On behalf of The Phoenix staff, I wish you luck.

Reflections on a Common Error: A Reminder to Freshmen & Seniors Alike

Michael Nossett '11 — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 19:33:42 +0000

As another summer comes to its final days, a new chapter begins at dear old Wabash, and with the gentlemen of 2013 joining this brotherhood, there will no doubt be a few familiar words echoing ‘round the campus. Before long, we all will be able to recite the Gentleman’s Rule while asleep thanks to all of the freshman orientation activities, chapel talks, and other traditional lectures common to the start of another school year. With vigor as never before, this solus legis that has bound Wallies for decades on-end will be proclaimed, preached, and pounded into the heads of every person within fifty miles of the College – and with good purpose, given last year’s months of upheaval that nearly shook this storied place to the ground. Yet, while we all wish to put the trials and tragedies of yesteryear behind us (as we should) and look unto the future, we would be foolish not to remember and reflect on those dark times, for the choice to be a “responsible citizen” is one that every one of us must make “at all times” as we move forward from these past memories.

Responsibility, in its truest sense, is not limited to the dictionary definition of “being accountable or to blame for something”. No, it is much, much more than that. It is a moral duty, a practicable “obligation” to ourselves, our families, and our communities, to be people of character and good judgment. But this is a duty that we all tend to neglect in some fashion or another. “Boys will be boys,” as we say, and “that’s what college is for,” state the best of us following a major gaffe – and it truly would be foolish of us to not expect ourselves to fall prey to the natural human tendency towards, well… stupidity. But the tragedies of the past have made a point very clear, one that is both completely obvious and, at the same time, largely neglected: the actions of but a few have a far-reaching impact upon an untold many, either for good or for harm.

By no means do I intend to accuse or point a hypocritical finger in blame, but one cannot help but wonder what the state of this College would now be had other decisions been made in the months of October 2007 and October 2008. Two broken families, a divided College, a displaced fraternity, nationwide scorn, ridicule, and scrutiny: all of these because of poor, fateful decisions– ones we all have the opportunity to make, but must swear to never again allow. These demonstrate with shocking clarity that choices made in the privacy of our most secluded settings can result in the most public of outcomes.

While consequences such as these are thankfully uncommon, it is only by Providence that more of the decisions that you and I make do not end in such horrible finality. Yet regardless of the severity of our worst errors, each of our actions will always bring with it some sort of consequence. Even the things which we do not often consider to be of concern – things like self-centeredness, poorly chosen words, spiteful conduct, a lack of concern for others– the fulfilling or neglecting of our obligation toward responsibility will impact those around us. Family members, fraternity brothers, dorm residents, and classmates are most often the recipients of these sorts of behaviors, and can be greatly harmed by our errors in judgment. Furthermore, our actions may influence them to make irresponsible and destructive decisions of their own. Thus, when any one of us disregards our obligation, we are not only at risk of harm personally, but we will always drag others into the fray as well.

Men of Wabash, the choice, as well as the duty, belongs to each of us. We may fulfill our obligation, and in so doing reap the reward. We may disregard that obligation, and thus reap a different reward. But we would be fools to say that nothing will come of our actions. We have been through far too much to believe that.

When the sun rises this late August morn’ and we all return to our studies, let us not forget that responsibility is more than just an idea. Rather, let us remember that it is a character, an identity, and a solemn duty that we must henceforth live out.

Why the Electoral College Should Go

Zachary Rohrbach '12 — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 19:28:13 +0000

“It has been said that man is a rational animal. All my life I have been searching for evidence which could support this.”

This quote by the British author and philosopher Bertrand Russell summarizes much of the human condition. We are not generally logical and consistent creatures, and we need look no farther than Governor Mark Sanford’s social conservatism to prove this fact. The purpose of philosophy—at least in one respect—is to remedy humanity’s irrationality. Philosophy begins with a premise and explores the logical outcomes of that premise while informing our consciences. But what happens when a philosophy ceases to be rational? The conservative philosophy provides a case study of such a phenomenon.

The inconsistency within conservatism is subtle and involves two seemingly unrelated topics: the Electoral College and affirmative action. The conservative philosophy generally accepts the former as an indispensable part of American democracy and scoffs at the latter as “reverse discrimination.” Conservatives hail the Electoral College’s ability to protect geographic minorities while they decry affirmative action for its unfairness to accomplished majorities. But consider what these two issues have in common. In essence these two institutions aim to achieve the same end: the protection of minorities. In reality, it would be accurate to call the Electoral College “geographic affirmative action.”

To be clear, the Electoral College in its present form does protect geographic minorities by means of the winner-take-all feature that gives all of a state’s electoral votes to the candidate who wins the said state. If the College were not in place, elections would presumably be determined on the basis of national popular vote. This would encourage candidates to do the most campaigning in high-population areas, namely cities, and make those Americans living in low-population areas effectively geographic minorities whose votes are not quite as sought-after. The Electoral College prevents the formation of these geographic minorities by requiring that candidates win entire states, as opposed to only high-population areas. From this description, it is clear that the Electoral College has the same sort of intended effect that affirmative action does. And, if this is the case, it follows that the two institutions should either be categorically accepted or rejected. Accepting one and rejecting the other is inconsistent—and bad philosophy.

Why is it important that the conservative philosophy be a self-consistent one? Most importantly, any illogical philosophy cannot serve as an adequate guide to making decisions. But also it is important for a philosophy to be based on practicality and not on blind ideology. The fact that the philosophy is not self-consistent shows that we conservatives really do not quite understand our own position. Conservatives in general argue viewpoints that reflect common conservative beliefs, sometimes without true understanding of the debate. When this happens, conservatives gain both the stigma of hardheaded, cold-hearted, stagnated stubbornness and the actual characteristics the stigma entails.

In the affirmative action debate this phenomenon is especially evident. When President Obama wants to nominate an “empathetic” Supreme Court justice, the insinuation is clear. He values compassion over unquestioning conformity to a political orientation. The perception—which is not necessarily incorrect—is that the conservative position on affirmative action is based on impractical and self-concerned idealism. As conservatives, we need to consider why we oppose affirmative action and consider revising our positions instead of blindly following canned conservative beliefs and the arguments that come along with them. We must ask ourselves: if we, as conservatives, are not willing to give special status to minorities in the institution of affirmative action, why are we willing to give special status to minorities in the institution of the Electoral College?

The conservative position should be revised and based on its current affirmative action position. That is, giving special privileges to minorities is unfair and discriminatory to majorities. As a result of this assumption, it is clear that the conservative position on geographic affirmative action (i.e. the Electoral College) must change. We conservatives ought to join the ranks of those pulling for the end of the Electoral College.

However, it is important to realize that this change in advocacy would only benefit the conservative philosophy from an intellectual standpoint, whereas, in practicality, it would hurt the Republican Party. As it stands, Republicans do have at least a perceived vested interest in protecting geographic minorities. The prevailing wisdom is that Democratic Party strongholds are in large cities. Therefore, without the Electoral College, the rural minority will no longer be protected, giving cities—which are presumably more Democratic—a greater say in the election. The 2000 Presidential Election provides a case study for this fact. Had the Electoral College not been in place, the election would have gone to Democrat Al Gore, who won the popular vote.

But the true conservative philosophy should be impartial, for conservatism is more than a political orientation. In order for the conservative philosophy to be a reliable informer of our decisions, it must be logically sound. It cannot simultaneously support the Electoral College and reject affirmative action, and since it has already determined that the protection afforded to minorities by affirmative action is unfair to majorities, it must apply this assumption universally. Thus, the Electoral College should go.

College Republicans to Host Luke Messer ‘91

The Boost I Needed: Parents’ Financial Stimulus Saves Summer

Luke Blakeslee '11 — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 19:24:13 +0000

I could not find a job this summer. It was terrible. Countless applications and nothing for it. All three got turned down. Fortunately I have loving parents. When I gave up looking for a job they told me not to worry about it; after all, it was up to them to help me out of my crisis. My dad had never had a whole lot of experience helping me out of crises, but I knew I could count on him because he had organized the neighborhood block party for the last three years and those parties had always rocked.

One afternoon Dad put on his best European scarf and talked my situation over with the people from around the neighborhood. Together they developed a surefire plan that would deliver me from my job problems. If I could just get started with some solid fiscal security, they figured, that could be all I needed to get my feet off the ground. One man suggested that maybe a $3,000 shot from my parents straight into my checking account would do just the trick. The others disagreed. They raised the number to nine thousand. Still others roared for more. “Fifteen thousand!” they shouted. “It’s a lot”, they said, “but it’s absolutely necessary.” My dad was unsure at first. He knew that if he did that for me, he’d have to do it for my two brothers and the three manatees he sponsored through PETA as well. He also knew that he was already deep in debt from turning our home green earlier in the year. But the others had already done the math. “You can think about those things later. Your child doesn’t deserve to have your burdens placed over him. We have to remember the children.”

In the meantime I was still languishing in my misery, stuck on the couch unable to find a job. One afternoon my dad interrupted my daily leisure. “Danny, we need to have a heart to heart.” He told me that he and my mother had thought it over, and they were prepared to give me a summer stimulus that would boost me past all my financial worries. They had taken out a loan and would give me $10,000, split up into three equal portions of $4,000 each (he had been audited the previous year for similar bookkeeping skills).

One third I had to use for transportation costs to and from my future job; another third I was to use toward improving my networking skills; and the last third I was told to invest in the local economy. This was just what I was hoping for. I said thanks in a heartbeat. “Just sign here and it’s all yours! But”, he added, “understand that some minor restrictions will apply.” He then gave me a report 1100 pages long, detailing precisely how I was to use his money. I mean, my money.

A few excerpts: From page 8: “The automobile in which you choose to travel must meet all standard EPA qualifications; have a five-star safety rating; average 70 mpg or higher; be made in Germany; have a dark leather interior; and must have a velocity regulator that restricts the driver from traveling speeds greater than 45 mph. Also, this vehicle is not to be driven further than 75 miles from home, and never without parental supervision. The insurance for this car will be provided (because we care), but all costs of upkeep will be charged to you. This vehicle must use only alternative fuels. Finally, this vehicle must be purchased by the end of next week.”

From page 643: “By the end of the summer you must have 150 volunteer hours with the ACLU; you also must have built a playground out of recycled shoes and rescued 30 baby seals.”

And from page 1100: “By the way, you must also play soccer.”

And on the back cover, in small print: “(For the next forty years you will be charged $200 weekly rent, utilities not included. This is to offset your total health care and educational costs, which will be covered by your mother and me. We love you, son, and we’re so glad to have you in our family.)”

Needless to say, here at the end of summer I am in debt, my father is in debt, and I still do not have a job.

But at least I get to go to DePauw for free.

On the Liberal Arts

Wabash Conservative Union — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 19:14:05 +0000

by Dr. William Turner

Welcome, freshmen, to Wabash College. The school you have chosen to attend is very different from many that your friends from high school are attending. Wabash is much smaller than most colleges and universities, and it maintains a relatively low student-faculty ratio. It is also a college for men, one of only a handful remaining in the United States. These are all important facts in understanding Wabash College and the education you will receive here. However, I think the most important characteristic of your new academic home—albeit not independent of other traits of the college—is the fact Wabash is a liberal arts college.

Many people go to college to study a specific field. They go for a professional or technical education—to become a physician, a lawyer, an engineer, a scientist, a historian, a journalist, a teacher, a businessperson, etc. They want to learn a profession, to acquire a certain set of knowledge, to become proficient in some technical area, to become specialists in their chosen field of study. They go to college as a means to an end. They go to train for a job.

There is nothing wrong with this. In fact it is a good and important thing. This type of professional or technical education produces people with very specialized knowledge, and this specialized knowledge is vital in making our world as it exists today. Without it and the division of labor associated with it, most if not all of the things we take for granted every day—and thus the world as we know it—would not exist. Fifty years ago, an essay titled “I, Pencil. My Family Tree as told to Leonard E. Read” gave an autobiographical account of how a simple wooden pencil is created, including listing the many components and people with different expertises necessary for its creation. This essay showed how the process for creating something as ubiquitous as a wooden pencil is so complicated that no single person could do it alone. Even if someone could build a pencil alone, the division of labor and specialization allow more of an item to be produced in a given time than could be done by the same number of people working separately, as Adam Smith famously explained in his description of pin manufacturing in his treatise An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations. Combined with interchangeable parts and engineering tolerances, specialization and the division of labor allow for modern manufacturing processes through the use of factories and assembly lines, providing employment opportunities for semi-skilled or unskilled workers that were unimaginable without it.

This model of a specialized education is a very common educational model in universities around the world. It is almost the exclusive model in Europe and Asia. It is the model all of your professors followed in graduate school. Many of us—myself included—also partook of it as undergraduates. This is the model most people think of when they think of a college education. It was the model I thought of until after I was hired by Wabash College and exposed to a liberal arts education.
A liberal education, such as one may receive at Wabash College, also has nothing to do with modern political allegiances. It also does not refer to the fine arts such as art, music, and theater, although these certainly play a large and important role at Wabash. Instead, the phrase comes from the Latin artes liberales, in which the term artes may refer to a skill or a craft. The artes liberales were the skills deemed necessary of a free person (from the Latin liber). While the skills and their association with the education of free citizens date back to the ancient Greeks, they appear to have first been grouped together in first century Rome. The number of the liberal arts has varied, but a fifth century work laid out what have come to be known as the seven classical liberal arts. The septem artes liberals consisted of the trivium of language arts (rhetoric, logic, and grammar) and the quadrivium of mathematical arts (arithmetic, geometry, music, and astronomy). As a mathematician, I find it interesting to note that four of the seven classical liberal arts were mathematical, since the Romans considered music and astronomy to be applied arithmetic and geometry, respectively.

Today a liberal education still refers to an education for free men and women—an education that liberates the mind. It teaches students how to think, how to learn, how to judge for themselves. In the words of one of my former colleagues, it frees your mind from slavish devotion to received knowledge. To be truly free, we must be able to separate the wheat from the chaff. We must challenge what we learn. Test it. Prove it to ourselves. In the Leviathan, Hobbes said, “those men that make their own instruction from the authority of books, and not from their own mediation, [were] as much below the condition of ignorant men as men [endowed] with true science [were] above it.” Blindly following the dictates of others can lead us into great trouble. We must learn to evaluate the merits of all knowledge that we receive. We must know when to trust it, and more importantly when not to trust it.

This idea is also very important in my field of specialization. As a mathematician and computer scientist, I must know when to trust the conclusion of a theorem or the output of an algorithm. This is why we go to the trouble of creating proofs. Proofs give a firm argument for the correctness of the theorem or algorithm. Without proofs, we must continue to question our data and conclusions.

A liberal education stretches a student to learn from many fields of study. At Wabash, you are required to take a variety of courses to fulfill your distribution requirements. You will study languages, literature and fine arts, and behavioral science. You will take courses in mathematics, the natural sciences, history, philosophy, and religion. You will learn a little from a lot of subjects. You will be expected to learn different ways of learning. This will help free your mind to think in new ways.

However, this cafeteria-style distribution requirement of taking a few classes in many different areas is not unique to Wabash, or even to a liberal arts institution. It is in fact a common requirement at many colleges and universities in the United States. For example, the general education requirements I had to complete for my mathematics and physics majors at Iowa State University were nearly identical to Wabash’s distribution requirements; if anything, they were a little more stringent in that I could not count courses in my majors toward my general education requirements. My mathematics and physics courses did not count toward my general education requirements in mathematics and the natural sciences. Instead I had to take statistics, computer science, biology, and chemistry to fulfill those requirements. Even students in stereotypically professional programs such as engineering, programs which are known for allowing students very few electives, have to complete something similar to your distribution requirements. These requirements do not set you apart from your peers.

On the other hand, the Wabash College curriculum does include a few elements that, if not unique to Wabash, are rarely seen elsewhere. These are the common sophomore course (namely Cultures and Traditions) and the senior comprehensive examinations. While studying for your comprehensive exams, you will look back over your education to synthesize all that you have learned into one comprehensive whole and try to explain how it all fits together. In C&T you will engage in the grand conversation that occurs in literature. You will read texts you never would have read on your own, but they will all challenge you to think differently, if only you will listen to them. Your instructor probably will not be an expert on the text, but he or she will show you how even somebody who does not specialize in that particular field can grapple with a text and learn from it. You will see how you can learn from subjects other than your main field of study.

This learning in fields outside of one’s specialized field of knowledge is one sign of a liberated mind. Your C&T instructors are one example of this you will encounter while at Wabash, but it may not be the only one. You may find yourself having a conversation in a professor’s office over topics far removed from the courses the professor teaches. You may find yourself in a group of students and faculty at a fraternity dinner or other function arguing about many different ideas. You may even find a professor sitting beside you acting as your peer in the classroom. In my short time here, I know several professors who have sat in on courses in Greek, Latin, Spanish, philosophy, religion, etc. Take advantage of this experience and observe them. They will teach you much about being a good liberal arts student if you will let them.

A liberal education is not just about the breadth of the courses you take. You must also take an active role in your education and challenge the knowledge you receive in these courses. This is even true in a mathematics classroom, where students often mistakenly believe they cannot challenge the professor’s statements. As Hobbes said, “they that trusting only to the authority of books follow the blind blindly are like him that, trusting to the false rules of a master of fence, ventures presumptuously upon an adversary that either kills or disgraces him.” Ask yourself why you should believe what you learn. When you read a text, have a conversation with the author: Ask the author questions, and look for the author’s answers in the text. In the classroom, challenge your instructor if something seems out of place. It is possible he or she made a mistake; none of us is infallible. Even if your professor did not err, you will learn more by asking questions than you could by being a passive receptacle of knowledge.

As you embark on your Wabash education, I challenge you to immerse yourself in a true liberal education. Take courses outside of your main interests. Have long and deep conversations and arguments with your fellow students and your professors. Learn to think for yourself. Challenge the knowledge you receive. Test it. Prove it to yourself. Read good books and ask the authors questions as you read them. Strive to know the good, so that you can do the good. Take advantage of your apprenticeship in this learning community, liberate your mind, and embark on a lifetime of learning.

Dr. William Turner is an associate
professor of mathematics and computer science at Wabash College. During his time at Wabash, he has audited classes on philosophy and ancient Greek. He has received degrees from Iowa State University and North Carolina State University.

Finding Christ in College

Stephen H. Webb '83 — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 19:08:27 +0000

You might think that going to college is all about gaining knowledge about things, but it isn’t. You have already picked up some knowledge in high school, and hopefully, your parents, or more probably your friends, have taught you a thing or two. In any case, you can pick up knowledge anywhere and anytime. Knowledge is cheap and easy and more plentiful by the hour. Google is your door to knowledge, not college. Knowledge is about web searching, not soul searching. You need to know more than you do right now, sure, but that is not something you should worry about. Instead, you should worry about learning how to think. That is why you are going to college.

Put in more grandiose terms, you are going to college in order to initiate a lifelong quest for wisdom. More precisely put still, you are going to learn how to think about what knowledge is. If knowledge is your relationship to things in the world, wisdom is your relationship to your knowledge of those things. Wisdom involves self-reflection, and thinking about your self is a lot harder than thinking about anything else. You are a moving target, so close to yourself that you can hardly see yourself. It is much easier to think about things than to think about how and why you think about things. It is really easy to miss thinking about yourself in the midst of everything you are supposed to know. That’s why the founders of Wabash College put it in a small town on the Midwestern frontier and made it a single-sex institution. They wanted to make you choose between being bored and thinking about yourself.

So don’t be fooled about knowledge. Knowledge is powerful, but knowledge has its limits. Knowledge is not necessarily good for you or for the world. People can know a lot and still do evil things with that knowledge. People can know a lot about the world and know little or nothing about themselves. People can also know a lot of stuff without knowing how that stuff fits together in a broader picture. You will learn a lot of things in college, but you will face the much harder (and much more rewarding) task of learning how to think about what thinking is.

All thinking begins with two movements of your will that we can call questioning and loving. Why a movement of your will? Because you must take ownership over your knowing if it is to have any meaning for you. You must decide to be a knower, rather than being a passive recipient of what somebody else knows. That is such a crucial claim that we can say you don’t really become a free person until you decide that you want to think about how and why you know things. Why questioning? Because questioning is what thinking is. The world will open up to you only if you ask it to. But you have to learn how, which you can only learn, by the way, by asking questions about everything, including the act of questioning. Why desire? Because questioning without a desire to know the truth quickly degenerates into triviality and skepticism. You have to love the world if you really want to know it deeply. We only really know that which we love, because knowing is about being grasped as well as grasping. Knowing is a reaching out of the mind that is based on trust and fueled by passion. Knowledge and love are as closely connected, in fact, as ignorance and hate.

Which brings us to Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the truth, the life, and the way, the full disclosure of the identity of God, the source of all truth and the longing of all desire. I know that to be truer than I know anything else in this world. If you are a Christian, you know this too, and thus you know that your quest for wisdom is nothing more than a journey into the heart of Christ.

But you should also know that the world hates Christ, and no part of our world these days hates Christ more than higher education. The world hates Christ because the world does not know Christ. Ignorance and hate are intimately connected, remember? The world thinks that Christ represents ignorance, intolerance, hypocrisy, and falsity of every kind. Even many, probably most, Christians in the world of higher education think that Christ has nothing to do with what you need to learn in college. Churches, too, can mislead you by portraying Christ as love without emphasizing that Christ too is knowledge. To know the Son is to know the Father, and you cannot know the things of this world properly without knowing their creator and sustainer. God is love, and Jesus is the physical presence of that love, which means that God is not only the inspiration of our knowing (through the Holy Spirit) but also the object of our knowledge. To know anything at all, no matter how partially, is to know something about God.

This is all very obvious to anyone who has thought about it even briefly. Yet nobody will tell you this in college. If you mention it to any of your professors, they will think you are crazy.

Your task in college will thus be to play a game of spiritual hide and seek. You might think that I am suggesting that Christ is hiding at Wabash College, and your job is to find him. Of course, I could never think of such a thing. Jesus Christ is the most real being in this world and the next. We can know things because He first knew us. The world is knowable because a divine intelligence ordered it through Him and He gave it to us to be known. We can put knowledge to good use because there is a moral law in us, which is itself the most sublime form of this-worldly knowledge.
God is not hidden from us. We are hidden from ourselves.

Nonetheless, all or nearly all of your professors will try to convince you that you can learn about the world and even learn about yourself without knowing or loving God. This is not the result of a liberal conspiracy, by the way. Professors are specialists. They have been trained to divide the world of knowable things into the smallest possible parts, and then to focus on one of these parts to the exclusion of all the other parts. Even devout Christian professors have been trained to do this.

Indeed, the professors who will be your greatest obstacles to wisdom will probably be Christian professors. Christians in the world of higher education have learned, at great personal and spiritual cost, not to take their religious beliefs to the office. They have learned how to sacrifice the demands of God in order to excel in the academy, and thus they will want you to make the same sacrifice. If you don’t, you will make them very nervous. If you show them, by your own efforts to integrate faith and learning, that God is the source and inspiration for knowing, you will inadvertently remind them of what they have neglected, and you are liable to make them feel guilty for the compromises and exclusions that have enabled them to succeed in their profession. They are likely to punish you for this.

Most of these Christian professors are politically liberal for a very good reason. As they have learned to eliminate God from their pursuit of knowledge, they have not turned their backs on religion altogether. Instead, they have come to the logical conclusion that religion, if it is not about knowledge, must be about morality. Their premise, that religion is not about knowledge, is wrong, but if you start with that premise, it is logical to conclude that religion must be all about what you do, not what you believe. This is called the social gospel movement or the social justice interpretation of Christianity. President Obama has revived it as a way of trying to expand his outreach to Christians. The idea is that being a Christian is a matter of doing good works like helping the poor and the oppressed. This is not a bad idea. It is just not a complete account of Christianity.

More importantly, the idea that Christianity is all about good works is a bad idea for college students. You will have plenty of time to do good works in your life. College is a special time set apart for you to learn how and why to think. Christianity should make a difference, indeed it should make all the difference, in how you learn to think. Christian Professors who try to make you think that your faith should issue in good works rather than in good questions are trying to prevent you from learning to think. They want you to learn stuff in the classroom and then channel your faith in social justice projects outside the classroom. Whether they know it or not, they are trying to teach you that God is not the source and inspiration for all knowledge. They will be a greater danger to you than atheist professors who are simply indifferent to religion. If you cannot avoid these professors, at least learn what it is they are trying to teach you. The devil you know is better than the devil who pretends to know what is best for you.

Above all, you will learn that these professors who believe that doing good works is what it means to be a Christian will not tolerate any questioning about their beliefs. They think it is so obvious that Christians should keep their religious beliefs to themselves in their classrooms that they will accuse you of the worse kinds of intolerance and ignorance if you let on that you are seeking the wisdom of God. If you put God above good works you will be given of every kind of ugly political epithet.
Here is your charge: Your task is to find ways of learning how to think about knowing without giving yourself away to your professors. That sounds strange, I know, but these are strange times. You must be smart enough to keep your motives and your goals hidden in order to grow at wisdom during your college education. You must learn to question everything while loving the one true thing, and you must do this while pretending not to question the things that are most questionable about higher education. You will have to be as wise as the serpent and as peaceful as the dove in order to succeed in your spiritual journey. This must have been, now that I think about it, the exact same situation the early Christians face in the Roman Empire. They had to go along even as they were subverting the powers that be, picking their battles carefully and being willing, in the end, to be martyrs for their faith.
So if you don’t have a crisis or two, don’t think at some point of dropping out of school, don’t get in trouble with your dean, don’t stir up the hatred of some faculty or fellow students, you will know that you have lost your way. And there will be plenty of opportunities to lose your way.

Good luck, and my prayers go with you. You will need them.