I was struck by recent news of the death of Ted Turner, who died at age 87. Turner was an odd individual, in his mannerisms, his speech (he was dubbed “The Mouth of the South”), his silly if not outrageous … Continue reading
There is a hand-painted trailer parked in a field by the highway on my way to work at Grove City College. The message is simple: vote for Trump, stop the communist takeover. This week, I read that the Trump administration … Continue reading
The McNulty Memo (Monthly Musings on Faith and Public Life) Editor’s note: This is the fourth in a series of articles looking at Christian faith in the public square. This is part of the Institute’s Center for Faith & Public … Continue reading
We had an unusual situation here in the prodigious arts and theatre metropolis of little Grove City, Pennsylvania. For the first time ever, our talented theatre programs/directors at both Grove City College and Grove City Christian Academy chose the same … Continue reading
Artificial intelligence isn’t the threat to business education. Surrender is. AI is already integrated into the business world my students are entering. It is used in analytics, marketing, operations, planning, and decision making. Business schools cannot afford to pretend this … Continue reading
IFF: Your book, Standing Strong: Grove City College’s 150-Year Journey in Faith, Freedom, and the Pursuit of Excellence, is being released today. Congratulations on its publication. First, tell us what your relationship has been with the college. Smith: I graduated … Continue reading
Pope Leo XIV has been issuing frequent prayers for peace in the Middle East. That shouldn’t be a surprise. Popes pray for peace. If the presiding pope isn’t pleading for peace, then he’s failing in a basic papal duty. The … Continue reading
“We will replace the frigidity of rugged individualism with the warmth of collectivism.” -New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, in his Inaugural Address All governments face the challenge of balancing the rights of individuals against the good of the collective. … Continue reading
I’ve been in academia long enough to remember the dark days of presidential rankings by groups like Political Science Quarterly and the New York Times. These “surveys,” particularly the one done by Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr., made you want to … Continue reading
Hiring Gen Z workers is a challenging undertaking. A business leader in my community has a lofty and admirable vision to hire Gen Z employees, but he is ready to pull his hair out. He trains them technically, but he … Continue reading
In a recent Free Press article, best-selling author Ryan Holiday suggests conservatives are the new “snowflakes” because they have their own version of cancel culture. I’m not sure whether conservatives have become snowflakes, but there is no doubt that both … Continue reading
As you root for your favorite Division I football and basketball team, do you realize that many of the starters are portal transfers who are currently playing at their third university? “AJ” Storr, a current Division I basketball player, has … Continue reading
I was quite saddened late last evening to learn of the death of my friend Michael Reagan, the oldest son of Ronald Reagan. Mike was adopted by Ronald Reagan and Jane Wyman (their first child was daughter Maureen) shortly after … Continue reading
I recently had a strange, sad experience while watching an old movie with the family. Most Saturday evenings, the Kengor abode delights in what we call “Family Movie & Snack Night.” The missus—my lovely Susan—lays out a cornucopia of exquisite … Continue reading
Are there any Christmas films more iconic than Frank Capra’s 1946 classic, It’s a Wonderful Life? One cannot go through the month of December without at least a passing glance at this movie starring Jimmy Stewart as George Bailey, the … Continue reading
Plumbers and electricians with Harvard degrees? It just might happen. The Ivys are in a showdown with the Trump administration over billions in frozen federal funds. Here is the deal: require Ivy League universities to fund trade schools and vocational … Continue reading
We are inundated with requests for our feedback. Your Walmart receipt asks, “Give Us Feedback.” Your Dunkin receipt offers you a “free classic donut” for your feedback. The requests are so pervasive that I tend to ignore them. I am … Continue reading
Cracker Barrel’s rebranding triggered a strong backlash in late August when the company removed the iconic “Uncle Herschel” character and his barrel from the company logo in favor of a cleaner, simpler look. The changes sparked significant customer outrage, especially … Continue reading
For thousands of years if you asked who the two greatest teachers of all time were, the answer would be Jesus and Socrates. Tragically, these celebrated instructors share another trait: they were both executed by their societies, perhaps particularly for … Continue reading
Editor’s note: A version of this article first appeared at The American Spectator. “The blood of the martyrs,” said Tertullian, “is the seed of the Church.” Charlie Kirk led a movement, a conservative movement, not a church. We all know … Continue reading
