We recently learned of a tense Wabash College faculty meeting, where a certain professor launched accusations of racism against a number of superiors and department colleagues. We mention this incident not to embarrass or demonize the professor involved, but rather to make a serious point: Accusations of racism should not be taken lightly—but they should not be made lightly either.

Wabash College has an admissions brochure that is famous among prospective and current students. “It won’t be easy,” it says of the Wabash experience, “but it will be worth it.” The mailing, received by hundreds upon hundreds of prospective students each year, is brilliant in its salesmanship.

Most students were probably not aware of the fact that a bio-terrorist visited campus a few weeks ago. Joel Salatin, the owner of Polyface Inc., has given himself many names including: Christian, farmer, Libertarian, lunatic, Capitalist, and environmentalist, but he has been called bio-terrorist by his critics. Polyface Inc., Joel’s family-owned livestock farm, is situated in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia and is esteemed as the ultimate sustainable farm. The sustainability movement, which calls for sustainable practices in every aspect from architecture to farming, is blossoming throughout the country and Salatin is at the front of the phalanx leading the charge.

It was by random chance that I even stumbled upon the name Wabash. I was in the market my junior year of high school looking for a good private college that fostered an excellent academic environment, was small in terms of class size, and more importantly was located outside of Florida. I had been schooled for twelve years in Florida, and though the weather is pleasant most of the time, I wanted to challenge myself. I’ve never been away from home for long periods of time and I wanted to experience living in another part of the country. It just so happened that I picked up the recent issue of Newsweek magazine which had an article about the top liberal art schools in the nation. What made Wabash stick out to me was that it met all the criteria I was looking for in a college and more. One of the appealing features to me was that a common major chosen by students was history. That led me to assume that Wabash must have a good history department. I told my parents I was really interested, and we sat down and did some research on the college. When I later discovered that it was an all male school my interest grew. The idea of going to an all male liberal arts college reminded me of the movie The Dead Poets Society, which appealed to me since it seemed like an interesting experience living in a community that fostered a spirit of brotherhood. My mom asked me if I wanted to take a trip to see the college and I said, “Sure, why not?”

The Gentleman’s Rule is indeed a magnificent aspect of Wabash College. However, it is also seemingly faulty as well, as recent issues have forced us to see. Fundamentally, the problem with the Gentleman’s Rule is inherent in its very imprecise and translucent nature. It begs the question: “What is a gentleman?” Well, who wants to take up that question and answer it? Surely not the Administration. Why is that?

For those unaware, Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid Steve Klein and his staff is located in Trippet Hall, on the far north end of campus. For many outsiders, Trippet provides the first glimpse of Wabash, and it is without doubt one of our greatest ambassadors. Beautifully furnished with artwork and stately interior architecture, it greets all visitors to campus, especially visiting prospective students, with a warm handshake and a classic grin, and offers them a splen­did view of our dear campus from wide, spotless windows. Fresh coffee, plush chairs and abundant literature invites guests to sit and relax, and maybe wonder what it might be like to spend a college career on such a serene campus. But a short exploration reveals that this inspiring view is seen only from the front of the building. Down the stairs and towards the back, that view becomes just a vague memory. It’s suddenly clouded out by closed doors, cubicles and drab gray walls that lack personality.

Probably the most publicly visible and most often criticized duty of the student government at Wabash is the dispersal of the vast sums of money allocated from the students each semester via the “Activities Fee”, which, over the course of the year generally adds up to around a half-million dollars. These funds are allocated to the more than fifty clubs recognized by the Student Senate through its Audit and Finance Committee, which must prepare the budget spreadsheets, handle all rela-tive affairs with the Business Office of the College, and operate under the policy guidelines set by the Senate as a whole.

The Pro-Life movement in America is in a crisis. With the Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA) looming in the air and the perceived prospect that it may be enacted, the abortion debate has once again reached a feverish pitch. Faith-based groups have mobilized, websites such as FightFOCA.com have sprung up, and eighty-four Facebook groups dedicated [...]

Quite remarkably, Alan Moore has said to have written Watchmen with the intent to critique Ronald Reagan-esque heroes—people put in a special position to guard the world from seemingly inevitable demise. Indeed, there are numerous essential lessons that open-minded conservatives can glean about the very nature of social governance.