Every year at Thanksgiving I trek into Barnes & Noble for an annual ritual of self-mortification. I go to the children’s section and glimpse the offerings for Thanksgiving. It never ceases to be a painful experience. A friend of mine … Continue reading
Education & Schools
Mud-pie Joy and the College Decision
Joy, real meaningful joy, should be the most important consideration when choosing a college. What about getting a good job? Don’t worry, rewarding employment will follow the pursuit of divine joy. I’ve been working at my alma mater for 24 … Continue reading
The New Gulags
Editor’s note: This article first appeared at First Things. As a new teacher at Grove City College, I thought it appropriate to start my upper-level humanities course by informing the students of my broad educational philosophy: I am over fifty. I no … Continue reading
Foundations and Attributes
Editor’s note: On May 18, 2018 Grove City College Chair of the Board of Trustees, David Rathburn, gave the following address to the trustees, administrators, faculty, trustee scholar winners, and retirees at Grove City College. A year ago I stood … Continue reading
Marx at 200: Classical Marxism vs. Cultural Marxism
Editor’s note: This article first appeared at The American Spectator. This Saturday, May 5, marks the bicentennial of Karl Marx’ birth, a cause for literal celebration in certain quarters of the academy. It’s often charged among the political right that … Continue reading
High-Priced College Textbooks: Uncle Sam to the Rescue
If you are a college student, professor, or bookstore employee, you know how jarringly expensive college textbooks are. It isn’t unusual for college students to have to spend over $1,000 per year on books. In an attempt to reduce those … Continue reading
The Grove City College Case: One Small but Mighty College vs. Federal Domination
In 1976, Grove City College, a Christian college of arts, letters, and sciences situated in the rolling hills of Western Pennsylvania, received what seemed to be a misdirected notification. The document came from the federal government’s Department of Health, Education, … Continue reading
Tax Day 2018: Taxation and Representation
The Center for Vision & Values is proud to present two videos featuring 2008 Grove City College graduate Jared Walczak. Walczak ’08 is a senior policy analyst for the Tax Foundation and was a Student Fellow for the Center from … Continue reading
When Ideology Collides with Good School Governance
Should schools be focused on providing children with a good education in a safe environment or should they be laboratories of partisan political agitation? The answer, of course, should be obvious. The National School Boards Association states that “education is not a … Continue reading
What’s the Purpose of Higher Education? College is About More Than Simply Getting a Job
I recently spoke with a college-bound student and his mother in my career services office. These types of meetings have significantly increased in the last few years as families want to inquire about all the statistical data related to job … Continue reading
On Christian Higher Education: Pointing Prospective Students to Christ
Editor’s note: A version of this article first appeared at “I Am Not the Standard.” 300 miles. The only thing standing between me and my admissions counselor. As my parents and I made the five-hour trek out to Western Pennsylvania … Continue reading
The Center for Vision & Values Presents: Top 10 of 2017
2017 has been a fantastic year for The Center for Vision & Values at Grove City College. We celebrated an all-time high in website traffic, an exponential growth in social media, and a record number of email subscribers. These accomplishments … Continue reading
New York Times: Communism “Made Life Better” for Chinese Women
Editor’s note: A version of this article first appeared at The American Spectator. I recently wrote about a shocking piece in the New York Times peddling a line we literally would’ve once expected from the Daily Worker or Pravda. The … Continue reading
Pork Belly Job Seekers
Commodities are bought and sold in nameless bulk contracts on the New York Stock Exchange every day. According to Mike Moffatt, writing for ThoughtCo.com, “When an economist, economics professor or economics textbook talks about a commodity, that term refers to … Continue reading
2017-2018 Opening Convocation – Grove City College – Hon. Paul J. McNulty ’80
On August 29, 2017, Grove City College’s ninth president, the Hon. Paul J. McNulty ’80, delivered the 2017-18 Opening Convocation. The inspiring address embraced students, faculty, administration, and staff to the College’s interconnected values of faithfulness, excellence, community, stewardship and … Continue reading
Calling All Unemployed College Grads
Well, your college career has come to an end. You have walked the aisle, received your diploma, hung up the cap and gown, but have no job. You have cleared out your apartment or dorm room and moved home. You … Continue reading
Musical Theory and Musical Judgment—Both Optional at Harvard
The department of music at Harvard University recently revised its curriculum. Music theory and counterpoint—once the bedrock of the degree—are now optional. The reasons for this change by Harvard are not complicated, and not surprising. The faculty of music at … Continue reading
Are Career Services Offices a Failure?
Only 16 percent of recent college graduates state that their career services office was very helpful. What a devastating statistic! Brandon Busteed, the executive director of education and workforce development at Gallup, stated, “We are stunned to see the perceptions … Continue reading
College Grads’ Great Expectations?
College students are ill-prepared to connect with an employer and secure a job in today’s marketplace. With little or no career development, self-assessment, or an understanding of vocational calling, they believe that the degree alone will be the proverbial “ticket” … Continue reading
The Center Presents: Top Stories of 2016 (Part One)
he year 2016 may likely be remembered by history as a year full of surprises, divisions, and changes. To help remember the year that was, we at The Center for Vision & Values asked some of our fellows and contributing … Continue reading