Founders Magazine - Spring 2017 by Patrick Henry College

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What does it

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LIFE? Perspectives on being for life. A L L O F I T.

FAKE NEWS AND MORAL ABSOLUTES

EXPLORING THE GREAT OUTDOORS

THE HIGHEST COURT IN THE LAND

THE ROOTS OF AMERICA’S DISTRUST FOR ITS BIGGEST INSTITUTIONS

NORTHERN VIRGINIA’S BEST OUTDOOR ADVENTURES

PHC ALUMNI CLERKING AT THE SUPREME COURT

A NO TE

from the EDITOR In the fall of 2007 I was a senior in high school and caught in the whirlwind season of college visits. As I toured various schools, I noted the grand historical halls and stately architecture, the diverse array of the extra-curricular activities, and massive award-winning dining facilities. These were the aspects I remembered because, by and large, they were the aspects most highly touted. But here’s something I also noted: classroom impressions were largely absent. That is, until I visited PHC. Among the many positive things I noted, in the end, it was the classroom that I remembered most. Even today, I can recall sitting in U.S. History I with Dr. Spinney as he asked the class to debate the virtues and vices of the Puritans. And I remember having my assumptions on the news challenged as I sat in Journalism II listening to students discuss the purpose of journalism and the ethics of protecting sources. On our drive home the following day, I noted this: PHC is a place where hard questions aren’t just welcome, they’re required. That remains as true today in 2017 as it was in 2007. This is a place for those who desire to aim high and dig deep, and it’s in that spirit that we’ve tackled a hard question in this issue: what does it mean to be “pro-life?”At a time when our nation feels deeply divided, and “life” seems more like a hot-button issue than a critical question of being, we’ve taken a moment to step back. We asked the PHC community for a broader, bigger look at what being an advocate for life – all of life – really entails. I hope you’ll find some fresh perspective in these pages and stories. From grappling with big issues, to capturing little joys of campus life, to celebrating alumni achievements, we hope you see life at PHC. I did back in 2007, and I still do today. All the best,

Ryan Gilles (Journalism '12), Editor in Chief

TH E PR EAMB LE

Up Front with PRESIDENT

JACK HAYE

Seventeen years ago, when we first opened the doors of Patrick Henry College, we knew we had undertaken a God-sized endeavor. Of that, we had no doubt. We knew we were pioneering something new as we set out to challenge the status quo in higher education. If only we could have known then what the Lord would do with that simple “yes.”

eople often ask me what makes Patrick Henry College so special and after all these years, my answer is a simple one: it’s the people that our students and alumni become. It’s not just that our alumni are Supreme Court Clerks, briefing the Joint Chiefs of Staff, guiding legislation in Congress, planting churches, starting businesses, and running nonprofits (to name just a few of the ways they lead and serve). It’s also the broader battles that our students choose to fight on behalf of truth, life, and liberty, whether it’s in their local communities or on a national stage. As Proverbs tells us, “See a man skillful in his work? He shall stand before kings.” Similarly, David reminds us in the Psalms, “I will also speak of your testimonies before kings and I shall not be put to shame.” The accomplishments of PHC alumni are remarkable, it’s true! But they are evidence of something far deeper. I see a depth of character and conviction among our students and alumni that I rarely see anywhere else as I travel around the country. It is this commitment to excellence paired with humility and love for the Lord that gives me hope for the future. These are men and women who are coming to understand the whole-life implications of the challenge found in Micah 6:8:

“P E O P L E O F T E N A S K ME WHAT M A K E S PAT R IC K HE N RY COLLEGE SO SPECIAL A ND A F T E R A L L T H E S E Y E A R S , MY A N S W E R I S A S IMP L E O N E : IT ’ S T HE P E O P L E T H AT O UR S T UD E N T S A N D A L UMNI B E C O M E .” - President Jack Haye

He has told you, O man, what is good and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice and to love kindness and to walk humbly with your God?

I think you’ll be encouraged to see some of that evidenced in these pages as we wrestle with the important question of what it truly means to be “pro-life.” These are the kinds of questions we face head-on at PHC. And that, I believe, makes all the difference.

Jack W. Haye, President of Patrick Henry College

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Ryan Gilles (Journalism '12)

IN TH IS ISSU E

ASSISTANT EDI TOR

Christine McDonald (CLA '16) DESIGN / L AYOUT

Jennifer Olmstead (Journalism '08)

ADMINISTRATION PRESIDENT

Jack W. Haye EXECUTIVE VP

Howard Schmidt VP OF ADVANCEMENT

Tom Ziemnick V P OF INST ITUTI ONAL E FFECT IVENESS & PLANNI NG

Rodney Showalter VP O F F INANCE & ADM I NI STRATI ON

Daryl Wolking DIRECTOR OF ADMISSIONS & COMMUNICATIONS

Stephen Allen DEAN OF STUDENT AFFAIRS

Sandra Corbitt DEAN OF ACADEMIC AFFAIRS

Frank Guliuzza, Ph.D. MISSION

The mission of Patrick Henry College is to prepare Christian men and women who will lead our nation and shape our culture with timeless biblical values and fidelity to the spirit of the American founding. Educating students according to a classical liberal arts curriculum and training them with apprenticeship methodology, the College provides academically excellent baccalaureate level higher education with a biblical worldview. WWW.PHC. EDU 10 PAT RICK HEN RY CI RCLE PURCEL LVIL LE, VA. 20132 888.388. 1776

Patrick Henry College is certified to operate by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia and accredited by the Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools.

Featured Contributors RACHEL ADAMS (ALDRICH) Rachel (Journalism ’15) currently lives in Seattle, WA where she works as Special Projects Coordinator for the Center for Science and Culture at the Discovery Institute. MICHELLE WRIGHT Michelle (Government ’11) lives in Denver, CO and works as a Global Curriculum Designer for McKinsey Social Initiative. Since graduating, Michelle has worked with Teach for America, earned an M.A. in Education from Lipscomb University, and worked for Apple as part of a competitive leadership program. She is currently pursuing her Masters in Business Administration. OLIVIA ENOS (SNOW) Olivia (Government ’12) is a Research Associate at the Heritage Foundation, specializing in human rights and transnational criminal issues. She is also a columnist for Forbes and the cofounder of the Council on Asian Affairs, a network for Asian policy professionals in Washington, D.C. Olivia is currently finishing her Master's degree in Asian Studies from Georgetown University. OREE WYATT Oree is a senior at PHC and hails from Oklahoma. Oree has been involved in numerous academic projects while at PHC and enjoys investing in the friends and community around him.

Other Contributors H ARVEST PR U D E Harvest is a junior Journalism major and freelance writer for

the Purchase Area Family Magazine. LEAH G R EEN WO O D Leah is a junior majoring in Journalism with a minor in

Classics and writes for The Herald. VICTO R IA CO O K Victoria is a sophomore Journalism major and the copy editor

for The Herald and layout editor for the Journal of International Social Affairs. B ECCA SAMELSO N Becca is a junior studying Journalism with a minor in His-

tory and will be running communications for PHC’s Teen Leadership Camps this summer. RYAN G ILLES Ryan (Journalism '12) is a Development Officer in PHC’s Ad-

vancement department and frequently freelances for magazines, companies, and nonprofits. You can see more of his work at www.RyanGilles.com. CH R ISTIN E MCD O N ALD Christine (Classical Liberal Arts ’16) is a Commu-

nications Specialist in the PHC Communication Department and is also a freelance photographer. You can see more of her work at www.capturedbycm.com.

T O SUBSC RI BE: VISIT PHC.EDU

EMAIL MAGAZINE@PHC.EDU

IN TER ESTED IN CO N TR IB U TIN G ? H AVE A STO RY IDEA?

The Index

SEN D U S AN EMAIL:

magazine@phc.edu

IN T HIS IS S UE

THE INDEX 06 “I could have anticipated that our students would get into top-tier law schools.... But what I couldn’t have anticipated is just how much our alumni stand out at these prestigious institutions ." – Dr. Frank Guliuzza PHC ALUMNI SELECTED FOR SUPREME COURT CLERKSHIPS

The Preamble Letter from the Editor 02

Up Front with President Jack Haye

NEWS

06-20

PHC ALUMNI SELECTED FOR SUPREME COURT CLERKSHIPS FARRIS ACCEPTS NEW POSITION LEADING ALLIANCE DEFENDING FREEDOM PHC BUILDS LEGACY WITH 10TH MOOT COURT TITLE

SPOTLIGHTS

NEWSMAKER INTERVIEW SERIES: HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE SPRING LINEUP GOOD NEWS: A FAMILY’S LEGACY BLESSES THE PHC COMMUNITY FACULTY FOCUS: HIGHLIGHTS FROM PHC’S PROFESSORS

ELYSSA EDWARDS Caring for Life

TOM HUNGAR A Case for Gratitude

APP STUDENTS BRING BIG NAMES FOR CONFERENCE HOME SWEET HOMECOMING NEW & NOTABLE

SUDOKU

SNAPSHOTS

CALENDAR PHOTO CREDIT REBEKAH J., MURRAY

15 HOME SWEET HOMECOMING

Sundries

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FEATURES

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WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE PRO-LIFE? At a time when “life” seems more like a trigger issue than a question of being, we step back and ask what being an advocate for life – all of it – really means.

I N THI S FE AT U RE :

JOINED AT THE HEART If life is painful, can it still be beautiful?

by RACHEL ADAMS

THE LIFE UNLOVED What happens when a child has no one left?

VICTIMS IN THE VALLEY: Fighting exploitation in the worst refugee crisis since World War II by OLIVIA ENOS

by MICHELLE WRIGHT

DISPATCHES

TOMORROW'S CONSTANT Where do we turn when life begins to fade? by OREE WYATT

ALUMNI

THE GREAT OUTDOORS Northern Virginia’s best outdoor adventures

RE(COLLECTIONS) PHC alumni share snapshots from their time on campus

CHANCELLOR’S CORNER – FAKE NEWS AND MORAL ABSOLUTES PHC’s Founder Michael Farris explains America’s distrust in its biggest institutions

CLASS NOTES: WHERE ARE THEY NOW? Catching up with alumni friends and family

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IN THE NEWS CHRISTINE MCDONALD

f r o m l ef t : PHC ALUMNI NEW SUPREME COURT CLERKS; ALEX HARRIS AND NICOLE FRAZER

PHC ALUMNI SELECTED FOR SUPREME COURT CLERKSHIPS

Two Patrick Henry College alumni from the class of 2012 were selected as law clerks for the Supreme Court of the United States this year. Nicole Frazer (Government ’12) is currently clerking for Justice Samuel Alito, while Alex Harris (Government ’12) is clerk to Justice Anthony Kennedy.

Each year, SCOTUS justices select just 36 clerks from an extensive pool of law school applicants across the country. These positions are the most prestigious and demanding available for any law school graduate and play an integral role in the operating procedures of the nation’s highest court.

“It’s really a defining thing for any graduate who is selected,” explains Dr. Frank Guliuzza, PHC’s Dean of Academic Affairs and pre-law advisor. “This is one of the great legal jobs in the country. You are watching what happens behind closed doors, helping determine the docket, shaping the judges’ thinking on particular cases, even helping draft first opinions. It’s a terrific position.” Harris attended Harvard Law School after graduating from PHC with highest honors. At Harvard, he earned the position of Supreme Court Chair of the Harvard Law Review and received the prestigious Sears Prize for exceptional academic performance. After graduating from Harvard, Harris clerked for Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals judge Neil

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by HARVEST PRUDE (JOURNALISM ‘18)

Gorsuch, who was recently appointed to the Supreme Court. In the spring of 2017, Forbes Magazine named Harris one of their “30 Under 30” rising stars to watch in law and policy. Frazer also graduated PHC with highest honors and received the school’s Outstanding Female Leader award at Commencement. She went on to study at University of Virginia (UVA) Law School where she was the Articles Development Editor for the UVA Law Review. She interned for the Indiana Solicitor General and at premier law firm Sidley Austin during her first two years and subsequently clerked for Judge Jeffrey Sutton of the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals in Columbus, Ohio. Frazer was originally selected for a clerkship by

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PATRI CK HENRY COLLEGE PRE- LAW

BY THE NUMBERS

10 Number of Moot Court National Championships in 13 years

122+ CLERKS, CONTINUED Justice Antonin Scalia. However, after Scalia’s surprise death in early 2016, Justice Samuel Alito reached out to offer Frazer an interview and eventually a clerkship as well. For Guliuzza’s part, he remembers both Harris and Frazer as exceptional students and exceptional people. “Alex was a terrific student with real character,” remembers Guliuzza. “He was always the same guy, whether he was winning or losing. The circumstances didn’t matter.” Of Frazer, Guliuzza says she was “academically excellent and likeable. She went after her interests with a laser focus.” While attending PHC, both Frazer and Harris were active competitors in forensics, which helped prepare them for a future in law. In 2011, Harris won the Moot Court National Championship along with his teammate and twin brother Brett (Journalism ’12). Frazer was especially involved in policy debate and served as a team coach. Both Harris and Frazer also worked closely with Guliuzza for forensics and pre-law coaching. PHC graduates have gone on to attend the nation’s best law schools, including Harvard, Yale, Columbia, UVA, Georgetown, and others. Alumni have also earned clerkships for federal appellate judges in the Second, Third, Fifth, Sixth, Seventh, Eighth, Ninth, Tenth, and D.C. Circuit Courts of Appeals. “Every student here that wanted to go to law school, particiapted

in Moot Court, and worked with law advisors got into law school,” Guliuzza said, speaking to PHC’s track record. “The number of PHC graduates going on to top law schools, making law review, and obtaining competitive clerkships is unprecedented for such a young school,” said Harris. “It’s a testimony to the caliber of students that PHC attracts, but also to the leadership, experience, and dedication of Dr. Guliuzza as the school’s pre-law advisor. PHC is incredibly lucky to have him.” PHC alumnus Logan Spena (Government ’12) attended UVA Law a year after Frazer and also served on the Law Review. He believes the PHC network and training served both Frazer and him well. “PHC makes it easy to be a first year law student in a way that other colleges maybe can’t,” said Spena. “You have tons of personal attention on the application front, writing personal statements, applying, and preparing for interviews. They do an excellent job.” Guliuzza says the accomplishments of students like Frazer and Harris are proof that PHC’s pre-law program stands out as one of the best in the nation. “I could have anticipated that our students would get into top-tier law schools,” said Guliuzza. “But what I couldn’t have anticipated is just how much our alumni stand out at these prestigious institutions and the success they achieve afterward. I think that really proves the strength of our program.”

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Number of law Schools attended by PHC alumni

9 Number of Federal Circuit Courts where PHC alumni have clerked

2 Number of PHC alumni currently clerking for the Supreme Court of the United States

100% Law school acceptance percentage for students involved in PHC pre-law program

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FARRIS ACCEPTS NEW POSITION LEADING ALLIANCE DEFENDING FREEDOM CHRISTINE MCDONALD

felt the Lord calling him to a new stage. “One of the things that really seemed exciting and a great fit in this role were so many correlations between what I’ve been doing and what ADF does,” Farris said in a video posted on ADF’s website. “I look forward to joining the talented ADF team and our many friends and allies as we continue this mission of building freedom’s future together.” “PEOPLE NEED TO KNOW THAT THEY’VE GOT ADVOCATES STANDING BEHIND THEM THAT ARE EXCELLENT, PROFESSIONAL, UNDAUNTED, AND ARE WILLING TO FIGHT IN ANY CIRCUMSTANCE....” - Michael Farris

by LEAH GREENWOOD (JOURNALISM ’18)

For more than 40 years, Michael Farris, Founder of Home School Legal Defense Association and Patrick Henry College, has been a leading figure in the fight for life, family, education, and religious liberty. That role recently expanded when he accepted the position of President, CEO, and General Counsel of Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF). “All people, at all times, deserve robust protection for the free exercise of religion,” Farris said. “Freedom is never safe and must always be defended.” ADF is one of the world’s leading legal advocacy organizations fighting

for the free exercise of religion and the protection of life and the family in the US and around the world. Founded in 1994 and led by Alan Sears for 23 years, the organization helped achieve legal victories in some of the biggest religious liberty cases in recent years, including nearly 50 cases in the Supreme Court. With Sears stepping into a new role at ADF, Farris will be only the second President and General Counsel in ADF’s history. “ADF is the largest Christian advocacy organization in the world,” Farris said, explaining how he believes the Lord has equipped him and the organization for this moment. “What ADF is trying to accomplish is to achieve victories in areas that are extremely difficult to win.” Farris accepted the position back in November, after a hiring firm approached him in the summer to consider the role. Farris says the decision involved much counsel and prayer and that he eventually

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This new position comes after 33 years with Home School Legal Defense Association and 17 years with PHC, both of which Farris helped found. Farris will remain on the boards of both organizations and retain the title of Chancellor Emeritus at the college. After a one year hiatus, Farris will also return to PHC to teach Constitutional Law and coach the Moot Court team. “All of his training has uniquely prepared him for this task,” said PHC’s President Jack Haye. “I cannot think of a more principled warrior to take on this task.” In a January address to PHC and HSLDA staff, Farris expressed his confidence in the leaders of both organizations. “I have full confidence in Mike Smith and Jack Haye. HSLDA and PHC are both in very good hands.” Farris fully believes that the Lord has called him to this new role for such a time as this. “People need to know that they’ve got advocates standing behind them that are excellent, professional, undaunted, and are willing to fight in any circumstance,” Farris explained. “I want people to know that ADF is going to be that undaunted advocate.”

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l ef t : PHC STUDENTS AT MOOT COURT NATIONALS right : CHAMPIONS PAULTON (L) AND SIU (R)

BUILDS LEGACY WITH 03 PHC 10TH MOOT COURT TITLE Patrick Henry College furthered its legacy in intercollegiate Moot Court this January, winning a 10th national championship in Gulfport, Florida. In addition to winning first place, PHC finished with three of the top four teams at the tournament. Juniors Meridian Paulton (Government ’18) and Thomas Siu (Government ’18) took the victory against a team from the U.S. Air Force Academy and became only the second team in the history of the American Moot Court Association (AMCA) to win first in both the brief writing and oral argument competitions. The prior team was Alex (Government ’12) and Brett (Journalism ’12) Harris in 2011, also from Patrick Henry College. “The field keeps getting stronger but Patrick Henry rose to meet the challenge,” said Michael Farris, Chancellor Emeritus and Founder of PHC. The field included the University of Chicago, University of Virginia, Duke University, and Holy Cross, among others.

In the semi-final round, Siu and Paulton faced off against a hybrid team composed of Sarah Geesaman (Strategic Intelligence ’18) from PHC and Myles Chaney from Cal State Long Beach. PHC students Shane Roberts (Government ’18) and Clare Downing (Strategic Intelligence ’19) faced off against the team from the U.S. Air Force Academy and went on to take third place in the tournament. The 2016-2017 AMCA season featured approximately 400 teams from universities across the country, competing in eleven national qualifying tournaments to earn coveted spots at the Championship Tournament. “Intercollegiate Moot Court is one of the great ‘academic sports’ like debate and mock trial,” noted Dr. Frank Guliuzza, PHC’s Dean of Academic Affairs and Moot Court coach along with Farris. “Each year the competition gets increasingly difficult. We are very honored and humbled by this level of success.” “I’m in awe of the win,” said Siu, who has been competing in Moot Court since his freshman year. “It’s an amazing blessing that we couldn’t have had without Dr. Farris and Dr. Guliuzza’s help.”

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by LEAH GREENWOOD (JOURNALISM ’18)

“IT’S NOT ABOUT THE INDIVIDUAL ACHIEVEMENT; IT'S ABOUT SOMETHING BIGGER: BEING PART OF A TEAM.” - Peter Kamakawiwoole (Government ‘08) PHC’s Moot Court journey began 13 years ago when the college was only three years old. In 2005, students Peter Kamakawiwoole (Government ’08) and Sarah Wilson (Literature ’06) captured the college’s first national title, just two years after Farris launched the program. Kamakawiwoole remembers the camaraderie and sharpening that came along with competing in Moot Court. “It’s not about the individual achievement; it’s about something bigger: being a part of a team,” he says. With a strong cohort of talented freshmen and sophomores on the team, PHC’s Moot Court future continues to look bright. “It’s remarkable to see how far [the team] has come,” said Kamakawiwoole. “I’m glad that the school has a legacy to celebrate, and I am honored to be a part of it.”

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04 NEWSMAKERS Influencers take the stage at Patrick Henry College

Authors, business leaders, policy makers, activists, and more all took the stage at Patrick Henry College this spring for the college’s Newsmaker Interview Series. Hosted by Marvin Olasky, PHC’s distinguished Chair in Journalism and Public Policy and Editor of World Magazine, the interviews gave students a front-row seat to prominent influencers and ideas shaping the world. Here’s the who’s who of this spring’s Newsmaker lineup:

James Ackerman: President and CEO of Prison Fellowship, the nation’s largest Christian ministry focused on restoration and rehabilitation in America’s prison system. Frederica Mathewes-Green: Pro-life author and past-President of Feminists for Life. Author of Facing East and Real Choices: Listening to Women, Looking for Real Alternatives to Abortion. Canon Andrew White: Founder of the Foundation for Relief and Reconciliation in the Middle East and former vicar of St. George’s Church in Baghdad. Trevin Wax: Prominent Christian blogger and author of This Is Our Time: Everyday Myths in Lights of the Gospel. Mary Eberstadt: Commentator and author of numerous books on culture and religious liberty, including It’s Dangerous to Believe: Religious Freedom and its Enemies and Adam and Eve After the Pill.

George Grant: Author, pastor, and founder of Classical Christian Schools in the U.S. and Iraq.

Mark Henshaw: CIA analyst and author of The Fall of Moscow Station and other spy novels.

Brad Wilcox: Director of the National Marriage Project and Professor of Sociology at the University of Virginia. Author of Wither the Child: Causes and Consequences of Low Fertility.

Carl Trueman: Westminster Theological Seminary Professor of Church History and author of Fools Rush in Where Monkeys Fear to Tread.

Charles Murray: Political scientist and scholar at the American Enterprise Institute. Author of Coming Apart: The State of White America. Lauren Green: FOX News Chief Religion Correspondent, classical pianist, and author of Lighthouse Faith. Michael Wear: Former Obama White House Staffer and author of Reclaiming Hope: Lessons Learned in the Obama White House About the Future of Faith in America.

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Janet Vestal Kelly: Former Virginia Secretary of State. Currently Principal Director of Government Relations for America’s Kids Belong, a nonprofit fighting to end the foster care and adoption crisis. Anthony Bradley: Associate Professor of Religious Studies at King’s College and Director of The Center for the Study of Human Flourishing.

To watch these and many more Newsmakers interviews, visit www.PHC.edu/newsmakers

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c l o c kwi se f r o m to p: EUGENE C. PULLI AM ( L) W I T H Y O U N G R U S S P U L L I A M ( C ) A N D E U G E N E S . P U L L I A M ( R) ; EUGENE C. PUL LI AM W I TH PRESI DENT DW I GH T E I S E N H O W E R ; E VA N G E L I S T I RV I N B . P U L L I A M I N 1 9 1 1

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A FAMILY ’S LEG ACY O F FAIT HF UL S E RV IC E B L E S S E S T HE P HC C O MM U N I T Y

GOOD NEWS by RYAN GILLES (JOURNALISM ’12) AND RUSS PULLIAM

In the late 19th century, Irvin B. Pulliam set his sights on the unsettled west. In those days, many men ventured toward the setting sun, resting their hopes on the promise of land and riches beyond the horizon. But I.B. Pulliam was answering a different call, one that would leave a legacy for generations to come.

t the time, Pulliam lived in Danville, Illinois, running a local grocery store and earning a steady income for his young family. Though his great-grandfather came to faith in the Virginia Baptist revivals of the 1760s or 70s, Pulliam himself only came to know the Lord as an adult, through the witness of a rescue mission pastor named Banner Shawhan. “When he got religion, he got it clear to his toes,” explained Pulliam’s son, Eugene. Faith changed everything for I.B. Pulliam and he quickly felt a call to service. Leaving everything they knew, Pulliam and his wife and young children joined the ranks of the pioneer missionaries who sought God instead of gold, settling the western plains of the United States for the sake of the Gospel. As a missionary, Pulliam was part of a larger group of pioneers in his day who followed the example of the apostle Paul in taking the gospel to frontier territory. Hudson Taylor did so in China in the 19th century, as did the founders of the Bowery Mission for the homeless in New York City. Pulliam resettled his family in the barren southwestern region of

Kansas and enlisted as a circuit rider in the Methodist church, preaching and pastoring in new towns. Life was difficult on those windswept plains. The Pulliams had to rely on the Lord for provisions, sometimes sent in the form of a “missionary barrel” filled with gifts from friends in the east. They also had to trust the Lord in the midst of conflict, as violence was all too common. That legacy of courage and faith has echoed across generations of the Pulliam family. Irvin and Martha’s son, Eugene C. Pulliam, benefited much from the faith of his parents in a successful newspaper career in the 1900s. Starting out as a reporter, he eventually built a sizable company, buying and selling more than 50 different papers, visiting more than 75 countries, and interviewing every president from Warren G. Harding to Gerald Ford. Throughout his success, Pulliam remembered the faith of his missionary parents, making the motto of his papers 2 Corinthians 3:17, “Where the spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.” Pulliam passed down the news reporting legacy to his son, Eugene S. Pulliam, who carried on the business and was joined by his daughter Myrta and son Russell. Today, Russ Pulliam is a columnist for the Indianapolis Star

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“THE PULLIAM STORY IS A LEGACY OF FAITHFULNESS AND A TESTIMONY TO GOD’S WORK THROUGHOUT GENERATIONS.”

and Director of the Pulliam Fellowship Program. His life’s calling has been an attempt to bring the truth of the Bible to bear on the news. Pulliam is a faculty member for the World Journalism Institute and also a member of the Patrick Henry College Board of Trustees, where he has served since 2001 through his time, talents, and generosity. His work has benefited numerous young journalists at colleges and universities around the country. The Pulliam story is a legacy of faithfulness and a testimony to God’s work throughout generations. The call that Irvin B. Pulliam answered over 130 years ago still influences the family today. The generations stand as a testament to Christ’s work and the special calling and purpose he gives to families. As Deuteronomy 7:9 says, “He is a faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep His commands.”

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Highlighting the honors, published works, and academic achievements of PHC’s distinguished professors

06 FACULTY FOCUS STEPHEN BASKERVILLE, PH.D. Professor of Government “Why the Sophisticates Were Wrong.” Daily Caller, November 14, 2016. “The Paradox of Michael Walzer: 50 Years on Radical Religion.” Providence: A Journal of Christianity and American Foreign Policy, November 8, 2016. “The Sexual Revolution Triumphant.” Daily Caller, October 10, 2016.

MICHAEL FARRIS, J.D. CEO, Alliance Defending Freedom and Chancellor Emeritus at Patrick Henry College “Defying Conventional Wisdom: The Constitution was Lawfully Adopted.” Harvard Journal of Law and Public Policy. LESLIE SILLARS, PH.D. Director of Journalism Program and Professor of Journalism

“A Social Policy for Donald Trump.” Daily Caller, August 24, 2016.

“For Credibility, the Media Needs to do More Than Visit ‘Flyover Country.’” The Federalist, November 29, 2016.

“Britain’s Referendum and the Eighteenth Brumaire of Theresa May.” Providence: A Journal of Christianity and American Foreign Policy, July 28, 2016.

Intended for Evil: A Survivor’s Story of Love, Faith, and Courage in the Cambodian Killing Fields. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2016.

“Poland’s Crisis – and That of the West.” Daily Caller, May 26, 2016.

“The Totalitarian Lie.” The Gospel Coalition, December 1, 2016.

“The New ‘Guns Versus Butter’: Why Poland Must Provide for Its Own Defense.” Arcana, (April-May 2016).

“We and Pol Pot.” The American Conservative, December 28, 2016.

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MARK MITCHELL, PH.D. Chairman, Department of Government “The Embodied Act: How Becoming a (Bad) Artist Can Help Revitalize the Arts.” Modern Age 58, no. 3: 39-43. Co-editor: Localism in the Mass Age: A Front Porch Republic Manifesto. [Forthcoming] Tradition, Cosmopolitanism, and the Myth of the Liberal Self. [Forthcoming] FRANK GULIUZZA III, PH.D. Dean of Academic Affairs and Professor of Government President, American Mock Trial Association (2016-2018). President, American Collegiate Moot Court Association (2010-2016). Mr. Chief Justice, and May it Please the Court: Compete in Moot Court Like a Champion [Forthcoming]

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FACULTY FACES

APP STUDENTS BRING IN BIG NAMES FOR CONFERENCE

Get to know PHC’s professors by BECCA SAMELSON (JOURNALISM '18)

DR. ROBERT SPINNEY Professor of History

HOMETOWN: I’ve moved so much I don’t know if I have a hometown. I did much of my growing up in Valdosta, Georgia, but reared my children mostly in Nashville, Tennessee. DEGREES: B.A. in Government and History, Harvard University. M.A. and Ph.D. in History, Vanderbilt University. BOOKS WRITTEN: World War II in Nashville: Transformation on the Homefront, City of Big Shoulders: A History of Chicago, The History of the United States: A Christian Perspective. FAVORITE TOPIC TO TEACH: What it means to study history from a Christian perspective (i.e., How does doing history as a Christian differ from doing it as a nonChristian?) FAVORITE BOOKS: A.W. Pink’s The Attributes of God, Martyn-Lloyd Jones’ The Sermon on the Mount, J. I. Packer’s A Quest for Godliness: The Puritan Vision of the Christian Life, and Thomas Kuhn’s The Structure of Scientific Revolutions BEST ADVICE YOU’VE BEEN GIVEN: The definition of a successful day is doing what God wants me to do. I can have a successful day no matter how I feel or what circumstances befall me. FAVORITE PART ABOUT TEACHING AT PHC: My students. They are kind, friendly, cooperative, curious, and hard working. If you do what I do for a living, PHC is the Promised Land.

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The American Politics and Policy (APP) program hosted a conference this February featuring speakers from Google, the White House, and more. The conference’s theme was Technology & Communication and included five guest speakers and a discussion of the APP program. Senior APP student Maggie McKneely (Government ’17), was one of the students in charge of planning and running the conference. “The goal is to give students an opportunity to learn more about something pertinent to their career field that they wouldn’t otherwise be able to learn,” she explained. The two-day conference in Washington, D.C. featured five notable speakers. Josh McGuire, former Senior Counsel for Google during the Android patent law wars, spoke on patent law regulation, while Max Everett, head of the cyber security unit for the Trump inauguration and former White House Chief Information Officer, discussed cyber security issues. Additionally, Michael Carowitz, an Acting Chief for the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), spoke on the contentious issue of net neutrality. In addition to the speakers, the conference featured an internship fair with over ten different organizations represented. “It was a great event all around,” said Professor of Government and faculty leader for the APP program, Dr. Michael Haynes, who oversaw the conference. “We want to give students not only a front row seat to these kinds of speakers and issues, but also the opportunity to be the catalysts that make it happen.” The APP program will host another conference next spring, led by upcoming junior Kianna Smith (Government ‘18).

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e m o H eet w S o c e m o H

sto r y by PAUL DEVAMITHRAN (GOVERNMENT '12) p h oto gr ap hy by REBEKAH J. MURRAY

an d CHRISTINE MCDONALD (CLA '16)

STUDENTS FROM NEARLY EVERY GRADUATING CLASS ENJOY A LATE FALL HOMECOMING EVENING EVENT AT GREAT COUNTRY FARMS â&#x20AC;&#x201C; PHC'S BIGGEST ALUMNI EVENT EVER.

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Homecoming 2016 was a party to remember. In many ways, 2016 was the biggest year on record for Patrick Henry College alumni. In response to a Trustee challenge and offer to match alumni gifts 3:1 in the month of June, PHC alumni gave generously and in record numbers. With more than four times the participation of any other year, our community raised over $100,000 and inspired a few Trustees to invest in Homecoming in the fall. The result was another record breaking event. On campus, Student Life and Alumni Relations joined forces to create a true carnival, complete with bouncy castles, balloon artists, and cotton candy. It was a family affair, and many alumni brought their kids to enjoy the festivities. In the evening, two PHC alumnae, Jennifer Olmstead and Rebecca Gallop (with a host of volunteers), helped the College and the Alumni Association throw the biggest alumni party to date. Held at Great Country Farms in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, over 180 alumni, faculty, staff, and trustees enjoyed the goodness of gourmet wood-fired pizza and fresh cider donuts. With nearly every class represented (Trustee George Clay called roll), the event brought together teachers and students, old friends and new ones, and served as a small picture of the great things in store for the Patrick Henry College community. For alumni, 2016 was a special year. Hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s to 2017.

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PHC ALUMNI, PROFESSORS, AND FACULTY GATHER AT THE FIRST ANNUAL HOMECOMING DINNER AROUND FARM TABLES WITH FRESH WOOD-FIRED PIZZA, APPLE CIDER DONUTS, AND GOOD CONVERSATION. F OUNDE RS M A GA Z I NE S PRIN G 2016

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Top Left: The alumni dinner set up at Great Country Farms. Top Right: Students gather at the annual students v. alumni football game. Middle Left: Charcuterie, cheese and local flowers at the alumni dinner. Middle Center: Trustee George Clay thanks alumni for record giving in the annual matching campaign. Bottom Left: Students, alumni, and families mingle around bounce houses, face painting, and carnival games. Bottom Right: Alumni dinner volunteers Elisabeth Boehm (Goverment '10) and daughter. Aurora. F OUNDE RS M A GA Z I NE S PR IN G 2017

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NEW & NOTABLE

by BECCA SAMELSON (JOURNALISM '18)

CHRISTINE MCDONALD

BELLE TAGUE

This semester’s Faith and Reason lecture grappled with issues of poverty, inequality, and justice from a biblical perspective. Economist Dr. Anne Rathbone Bradley from George Mason University presented a lecture titled, Is Income Inequality a Sign of Injustice: A Biblical and Economic Perspective. “I’m a Christian first and an economist second,” Bradley said. “That’s important for all of us as Christ followers to remember…For us to prosper, we need to seek the prosperity of others.”

DR. MICHAEL KUCKS NAMED EBA PROGRAM DIRECTOR

PHC students are learning around the world this year. Over spring break, history professor Dr. Doug Favelo took a group of students on a tour of Greece to study the underpinnings of Western civilization. At the end of the semester, literature professor Dr. Cory Grewell leads a trip to England, and later this summer, Dr. Stephen Baskerville will take students studying International Politics and Policy to Poland.

This spring, math and physics professor, Dr. Michael Kucks, was named the Director of the Economics and Business Analytics (EBA) program at PHC. Kucks, who has taught at the college since 2006, has a background in industrial business and engineering and helped lead the task force for PHC that developed the EBA program. Kucks will be the program’s first director since it became a major in 2014.

PHC ADDS NEW EXECUTIVE VP In February, PHC announced that board member and business veteran Howard Schmidt would join the college’s staff in a dual role as its newest Executive Vice President and Professor of Business Analytics. Schmidt, who has had two children attend PHC, comes with 35 years of domestic and international business experience. Schmidt says his focus will be on helping PHC grow its brand awareness, student body size, and reach in the professional world. “To be able to work with such incredible students, faculty, board members, and administration on a daily basis is going to be a great blessing,” Schmidt said. F OUNDE RS M A GA Z I NE S PR IN G 2017

STUDENTS SPEND SPRING BREAK SERVING IN GREECE AND HONDURAS Two groups of students, alumni, and staff traveled overseas for missions trips over spring break. President Jack Haye took a group of 11 to serve Syrian refugees in camps in Athens, Greece. Senior Clayton Millhouse (Strategic Intelligence ’17) led another group of seven students to Tegucigalpa, Honduras to work with medical clinics and lead family and children’s ministry outreach. CLAYTON MILLHOUSE

FACULTY LEAD TRIPS ACROSS THE GLOBE

CHRISTINE MCDONALD

FAITH & REASON LECTURE GRAPPLES WITH POVERTY AND INEQUALITY

PHC EXCELS AGAIN IN MODEL UNITED NATIONS PHC’s National Model United Nations (NMUN) team earned its ninth Distinguished Delegation award at this spring’s annual simulation in New York City. The four day simulation brought together over 200 teams from around the globe, only 24 of which received the top prize. PHC students Manus Churchill and Mikael Good also received awards for their position paper.

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SPOTLIGHTS COURTESY ELYSSA EDWARDS

ELYSSA EDWARDS, ECONOMICS AND BUSINESS ANALYTICS '16

Caring for Life

ELYSSA EDWARDS (ECONOMICS & BUSINESS ANALYTICS '16) NEVER PICTURED HERSELF AS AN EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AT THE AGE OF 21. BUT WHEN IT COMES TO RUNNING A PREGNANCY RESOURCE CENTER, EDWARDS IS SHORT ON NEITHER EXPERIENCE NOR PASSION.

“I have volunteered in pregnancy centers since I was born,” Edwards jokes, recalling how her mother would always bring her along while volunteering at a center near their home. Now Edwards is the one managing volunteers and other staff as Executive Director at LifeTalk Resource Center, a holistic pregnancy resource clinic for women in Frisco, Texas. At LifeTalk, Edwards has the chance to come alongside women in need, offering material assistance, counseling, referrals, ultrasounds, and more. “A significant part of being able to save lives is addressing every life stresser that these women face,” says Edwards. “By being able to confront things like no medical insurance, no housing, no

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job, and helping them solve those issues, we are better able to be advocates for life. We aren't just saying we believe in life and trying to save a baby. We are truly caring for the lives of all involved.” Edwards entered Patrick Henry College in 2013 with the intention of becoming a pro-life advocate in law, but changed course after she interned at a pregnancy clinic and noticed the company’s unsound business decisions. “They had a noble goal,” she said, “but I didn’t see why a non-profit couldn’t make sound business decisions.” When PHC announced the new Economics & Business Analytics major, Edwards decided to change majors and bring business sense into pro-life work. “I was nervous at first,” Edwards said, remembering when she learned that she had landed the job. She remembers finding comfort in Jeremiah 1:5-7: “‘Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart” The passage goes on to say, “Do not say, ‘I am too young.’ You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you.” Edwards says she’s grateful to be in her current position and feels this is what she’s meant to do. Her days are spent managing the office, overseeing the staff, and developing relationships with ministry partners and churches. She is also simultaneously completing her Master's of Business Administration. “I might not know what God has in store for the rest of my life,” Edwards said, “but I know that I always want to be involved with pro-life work.

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SPOTLIGHTS

COURTESY TOM HUNGAR

TOM HUNGAR, DONOR

A Case for Gratitude

TOM HUNGAR’S CAREER IS HARD TO SUM UP. TO MENTION YALE LAW SCHOOL, HIS FORMER ROLE AS DEPUTY SOLICITOR GENERAL OF THE UNITED STATES, OR THE 26 CASES HE’S ARGUED BEFORE THE SUPREME COURT ONLY SCRATCHES THE SURFACE.

But for all he’s accomplished, Hungar is the first to say it’s all been a gift from God. Recently, Hungar’s resume expanded further when he was appointed General Counsel for the U.S. House of Representatives by Speaker Paul Ryan. Hungar took some time with Founders to talk about his career, what makes a great Supreme Court Clerk, and what he sees in Patrick Henry College. Founders Magazine: You must have quite the LinkedIn profile. If you can take us back, when did you decide you wanted to pursue a career in law? Tom Hungar: Now we’re stretching my memory. I think law had been on my radar for a long time. But I also thought for a while about a computer science career instead. When I was in high

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school I did student government and found these kind of debates and law-like procedures interesting. I didn’t really have a burning desire to change the world through the law, which is something that a lot of people feel who go to law school. So I’m not sure I ever really felt destined to be a lawyer, but the decision to follow that path has turned out to be a blessing. Founders: Was there a moment when your career path really became clear? Hungar: Probably the biggest break of my career was being hired as a law clerk by Justice Kennedy. In the legal world, having that opportunity is a little bit like being struck by lightning, except in a good way. It opens doors in a way that not many other things do. So that was a great blessing and it certainly helped steer me in the direction of appellate litigation, which has really been the focus of most of my career and what I’ve most enjoyed. Founders: You’ve actually been involved in the clerk selection process too. What do you think makes for a great clerk? What things set a candidate apart? Hungar: At the federal appellate court level you’re looking for people who are incredibly bright and talented, hardworking, excellent writers, researchers, legal thinkers, and communicators. And beyond that, you want to find someone with sterling character who is going to be loyal to the Justice, who can present both sides of the issue in a fair way and then faithfully execute the Justice’s decisions. It’s a difficult balance to strike. Justice Kennedy, for instance, would very much enjoy the

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TOM HUNGAR, CONTINUED...

give and take of the discussion and getting the law clerks together to debate a difficult constitutional issue in a case. They want to hear different perspectives. Founders: Over the years you’ve had experience working both in the government and with major firms. What’s one of the biggest challenges you’ve encountered in your work? Hungar: Certainly the most challenging and high-pressure case I ever worked on was the Bush v. Gore litigation arising out of the 2000 Presidential election. I was with the law firm Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher representing George W. Bush, and it was basically 35 days of constant litigation, often working 18 or more hours a day. We were handling appellate matters not only at the Supreme Court but also at the Federal Court of Appeals based in Atlanta, Georgia (which has jurisdiction over federal cases in Florida), and assisting with matters in the Florida state courts as well. It was constant pressure and the constant sense that the stakes were vast for the nation. I’ve never worked harder or faced more stress in my career. I’m glad to have done it, but I wouldn’t want to do it again! Founders: Well, now you’ve got a brand new challenge ahead in your new role as General Counsel for the U.S. House of Representatives. Do you have a sense of where your focus will be? Hungar: Well, a lot has happened already in this new administration, hasn’t it? One thing that my office does is advise committees on oversight activities when they’re looking at executive branch action. It’s a process of seeing where there may be need for reform or legislative action to address problems or figure out how laws are being administered and whether things are being done in the way that they should. My office is not the driver of that, obviously. We are just assisting the House and its committees as they chart their course. It is going to be interesting to see how those relationships between the House Committees and the executive branch play out in this administration. Founders: How was it that you first heard about Patrick Henry College? Hungar: We heard about the college pretty early on because we knew of Mike Farris through his advocacy on behalf of homeschoolers. We started

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“REGARDLESS OF WHERE YOU GO OR WHAT YOU ACCOMPLISH, IT’S ESSENTIAL TO RESIST THE TEMPTATION OF ARROGANCE AND PRIDE THAT ALWAYS COMES WITH SUCCESS. THE FUNDAMENTAL TRUTH IS THAT WHATEVER WE HAVE IS A GIFT FROM GOD AND SHOULD BE TREATED AS SUCH.

homeschooling around 2000 so we were getting involved in the community just around the time that Patrick Henry was founded. And a lot of Patrick Henry students go to our church here in Northern Virginia. As we have gotten to know more people at the college we have been increasingly impressed with the quality of students as the years have gone by. Founders: What would you say is the “case” for PHC? Why has it continued to attract you? Hungar: I think there are a lot of reasons but the biggest factor for me is PHC’s clear sighted focus on the pursuit of academic excellence in a Christian context. I think PHC has done a superb job of emphasizing those goals and seeking to train people to be really top notch advocates for a Christ-centered worldview in the public arena. In our post-modern culture, it is exceedingly important to have people in the halls of power who are able and prepared to speak eloquently from that perspective. PHC is training people to do that, and I’m grateful for that. Founders: Is there a piece of advice that you give to people today that has been particularly important in your own life? Hungar: Regardless of where you go or what you accomplish, it’s essential to resist the temptation of arrogance and pride that always comes with success. The fundamental truth is that whatever we have is a gift from God and should be treated as such. We’re called to be good stewards of what we’ve been given for His glory, and the greater our accomplishments and achievements, the greater our responsibility to acknowledge and live in light of that truth. Because what do we have that we did not receive? 1 Cor. 4:7

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Prō ' līf∕ W H AT D O E S I T M E A N T O B E

EDITED BY

Ryan Gilles

These are stories of life. All of it.

INTRODUCTION

In September of 1971, the Chicago Tribune published an article few people probably remember. Tucked in the features section below the fold, the story was titled “Collegians who Campaign for the Unborn,” and it opened with a quote from a 21-year-old activist at the University of Minnesota named Sue Bastyr. “The most liberal cause is protecting other people’s lives,” Bastyr said in the opening lines of the short article. “To be pro-life you have to be for all life.” Little did Bastyr realize, her words would eventually be called the first contextual use of the term “pro-life.” Almost 50 years later, that term is virtually impossible not to know. Amid what has become a hotbed of political firing lines and heated arguments, “life” can sometimes seem more a trigger issue or policy point than an actual state of being. What does it really mean to be for life? Here at Patrick Henry College, we asked our community of students and alumni for a fuller perspective on that question. What does it mean to be for life in the womb? What does it mean to be for life in the face of 500,000 foster children across the country or 21 million victims of trafficking and exploitation around the world? What about being for life when life is almost gone?

Simply put, these are stories of life. All of it.

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TO BE PRO-LIFE?

Joined at the Heart WRITTEN BY

Rachel Adams

If life is painful, can it still be beautiful?

t never fails to surprise, how quickly a day can turn from excitement to fear. Just moments before, Kristi Eskelundâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s whole family had been squeezed in the semidark ultrasound room, marveling over the not one, but two little lives growing inside of her.

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Now, she sat alone in a sterile hospital room just down the hall, with a businesslike doctor in a white coat spilling out medical words as if he wasn’t tearing her whole world apart.

“There are some things that concern me,” he had said, with little introduction, pointing to the fuzzy, black and white ultrasound images on his computer screen. “See, here are your babies in awfully close proximity. Here are two distinct heads, and this is an abdominal cross section where they appear to be conjoined at the abdominal thoracic cavity. Do you know what that means?” Most of the words were technical jargon, but one word pulsed in the center. Conjoined. Yes, she knew what conjoined meant. “We only see one cardiac silhouette, one heart. Is this your first pregnancy?” Kristi didn’t have time to answer as the doctor glanced at her chart and added with a hint of disbelief, “Oh, you have three children already?” Yes, three young children, who were with her husband Dave in the other room. None of them knew their world had just changed forever. Kristi’s question came out slowly, as she struggled to find words. One tear, followed by another, and another, rolled down her cheeks. “What does this mean for my babies? I mean, for their ability to survive?” “Well, you just went from a no-risk pregnancy to an off-the-chart risk.” When the doctor in the white coat finished, Kristi slowly made her way to the room where her family waited. Dave looked up with a grin when she walked in. When he saw her face the smile vanished and his brows knit together. “What’s wrong?” *

The data was slim. Conjoined twins are a very rare occurrence in the medical world, about one in 200,000 live births. Including those who are stillborn and those who die a day after being born, the survival rate is only between five and 25 percent. But one question pulsed in Kristi’s mind, pressing to the front, occupying every waking moment: what if they have one heart? If that was the case, there would be no chance of separation. What then? That question pounded in Kristi’s mind until the 15 week mark, when Kristi and Dave sat in a small room painted in warm colors, talking with a specialist. He seemed at ease; the unusual situations were his every-day job after all. He was relaxed and personal as he set Kristi up for an ultrasound. He paused, briefly, before he turned on the machine. “Where do you stand philosophically?” he wanted to know. “You don’t have to be pregnant if you don’t want to be.” His voice was gentle but firm. They had expected this question would come. By now they knew the risks, the statistics. They knew the best case scenario was an uncertain future filled with unending questions and complications. But they also knew their answer. There is little information on the abortion rates of conjoined twins. They are only a small subset of a larger debate over how society views suffering and, more specifically, sufferers. If your children will likely die anyway, and will suffer if they don't, is it worth giving birth to them at all? By and large, much of society's answer to that question is no. Perhaps the most dramatic example is the high abortion rate of children diagnosed pre-natally with Down syndrome. Last year, the BBC reported that positive results for pre-natal Down’s screening led to a 90 percent abortion rate in the UK. In Iceland, the number was 100 percent. As pre-natal screenings for various diseases and disabilities become more reliable, the questions of life and ultimately judgements of worth become more acute. If life is painful, can it still be beautiful? Kristi and Dave had always had a strong conviction for life. As Christians, they believed life – in and of itself – was valuable and a gift from God. But that didn’t mean

Perhaps it is true, what Tolstoy said, that happy families are all alike. For when she spoke of her life before that day, Kristi’s words were, “It was so happy, so normal.” A quiet, routine-filled life, three kids, and a military job for Dave; it was exactly what Kristi had always wanted. But now, all that was changed. There were questions for which no one had answers. How do you clothe conjoined twins? Hold them? Would separation be possible? Would they even survive through birth?

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they were immune from such questions, whether it was the doctor who asked, or a family member who suggested that maybe, just maybe, a 20 percent survival rate would justify the decision. She had to think of her other children, after all. In the warm-colored room, the specialist moved the ultrasound probe across Kristi’s abdomen. “Well, we need to take a look,” he said. The heart is always the easiest thing to recognize in an ultrasound, even the most fuzzy. Other features may be hard to make out. But the heart is always there, easy to spot. It’s pulsing, regular, consistent. Kristi almost gasped when she saw them: two little

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As the surgery began, she could feel tugging and pulling. The babies that had been pressed up under her rib for so many months suddenly slid away and from the other side of the screen came soft crying sounds. “Oh, they’re beautiful,” the nurses cooed. But before Kristi could see them, the babies were whisked off to the next room where the neonatology team waited. It was two days before Kristi got more than a passing glance at her daughters. With a pile of blankets on her lap to buffer the weight, Kristi was wheeled into the NICU and handed her daughters, conjoined and tethered to a complicated mess of wires and monitors. Tears ran down her face. She could feel their warmth

" I F S H E C O U L D J U S T H O L D T H E M O N C E A N D T E L L T H E M T H AT S H E W A S W I L L I N G T O B E T H E I R M O T H E R , T H AT W O U L D B E E N O U G H . "

hearts pulsing in harmony on the screen, so close they might be touching. But there were two. Kristi was almost dizzy with happiness. Later, Dave and Kristi decided to name their daughters Lydia Joy and Anneka Mercy. *

against her and their arms flapping and wrapped around each other. There in the hospital bed, Kristi contemplated the long road the girls had ahead. Both had significant heart defects. Anneka’s oxygen levels were dangerously low – her blood was never more than 80% saturated. They had many tests and scans to figure out which of their bowels were shared and what it would take to separate them. But more than anything, Kristi saw their faces. Both girls had fair fuzz on the tops of their heads. Lydia was chubby and pink. Anneka was smaller, with big eyes. The heart defects made her paler, with an almost bluish tinge. It was so hard to believe the little girl was so mixed up inside. She looked perfect to Kristi. From where she sat, she could watch their two little heartbeats keeping time on the monitor. Separation couldn’t wait too long. Before them lay months of living in the hospital, medical scrutiny, too many surgeries, and no one knew what came at the end. Who could have guessed the heartache that was still before them? But for now, Kristi was content just to hold them.

A little over a week after the ultrasound, Kristi and the three children piled onto the loveseat in the living room. She had been reading to them, but one by one they had all fallen asleep. She studied the three sleeping faces beneath tousled white-blond hair. She reflected on her decision to keep the pregnancy. She was concerned about these children of hers, who had to follow her on the road she chose. At the same time, they were part of the reason she made the decision she did. How could she look them in the face and tell them how much she loved them if she couldn’t say the same about her youngest daughters? The chances of one or both twins dying in utero were high, Kristi knew, and losing one meant losing both. But Kristi clung to hope and the certainty that whatever the pain or struggle, life was worth the risk. She wanted to look into her twins’ faces. If she could just hold them once and tell them that she was willing to be their mother, that would be enough. January 10 was the day they picked for the caesarian section. Kristi’s birthday. They showed up at 6 a.m., just like they promised. The doctors set Kristi up, placing a screen between her head and her stomach. Dave crouched next to her. He didn’t want to see them cut her open either.

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RACHEL ADAMS (ALDRICH) (Journalism ’15)

currently lives in Seattle, WA, where she works as Special Projects Coordinator for the Center for Science and Culture at the Discovery Institute. This story is part of an ongoing reporting project on the Eskelund family’s story, which Rachel hopes to turn into a full-length non-fiction book in the near future.

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TO BE PRO-LIFE?

The Life Unloved WRITTEN BY

Michelle Wright

What happens when a child has no one left?

hen Taylor walked in our door for the first time, she demanded answers to two questions: 1. Is there food in this house? 2. Can I sleep with a knife? I feel safer sleeping with a knife. (Yes to the first, no to the second.)

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An hour earlier, I had received a call from an emergency placement worker who shared what she knew: Taylor* and her seven-year-old sister, Jasmine*, were sitting at a family crisis center. Jasmine had been picked up on busy street barefoot and asking strangers for food.

foster care

Someone called 9-1-1 and an investigative police officer found 15-year-old Taylor back at the “uninhabitable” family home. The girls’ mother was on the run after attacking a pregnant neighbor with a hammer. The emergency placement worker called and asked the usual, “Will you take the girls for the night? We’ll call in the morning with next steps.” As we do whenever we can, my sister Kristin and I agreed, knowing that the trauma endured by children forcibly removed from a home always exceeds the inconvenience of opening a bed to a complete stranger. Unmarried with full-time jobs, Kristin and I make an unlikely profile for a “foster family.” But after learning that children in Denver County frequently spend a night either in police departments or under social workers’ desks, we had to do something. Appalled, we thought, “A night or two? We can absolutely do that. Every child deserves warm food and a safe bed—even for one night.” The case worker’s proffered “night or two to find permanency” turned into two months. This is worthy of its own story: Denver County (like many counties across the US) has 150 registered foster-families certified to care for the 900+ children in state custody. Placing children as young as five years old into a group home is an unfortunate reality. There simply aren’t enough families. But this isn’t the story I want to tell. Instead, I want to tell the story of Taylor’s life as it’s unfolded since leaving my home.

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After passing through another two foster homes, the girls were again entrusted to their mother's custody. She agreed to take court-ordered parenting classes and assured the department that she’d kicked her abusive boyfriend out for good. Reuniting Taylor with her mom proved far more complicated than anyone anticipated. Time and space had given Taylor a reprieve from 15 years of childhood trauma and she finally opened a Pandora’s Box of depression, grief, and PTSD symptoms. Nothing had changed at home and Taylor’s anger clashed with her mom’s disregard. “Stay away from me,” her mom said. “Don't call me ever. I may as well be dead to you.” Now caught between a mother that has disowned her and a system that has “closed the case,” Taylor is functionally homeless at 15. Although she’s in eighth grade, Taylor tests at a fifth grade math and reading level. Completely unskilled, she joins 24,000 foster-teens who aged-out of foster care without a permanent family in 2016. Over the last three months, I’ve picked Taylor up from all over Denver—from friends’ homes, to the psych ward, to literal street corners. I think of myself as a crisis safety net. I care deeply about her but frankly, I fear the reality of allowing her to depend entirely on me. I know the statistics (see below). Taylor is one bad choice away from drugs, prostitution, teen pregnancy, or even suicide.

*Names have been changed.

Foster youth exhibit higher rates of illegal drug use than youth who have never been in foster care (34% COMPARED TO 22% ).

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Young women in foster care are more than TWICE AS LIKELY as their peers not in foster care to become pregnant by age 19.

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When I spend too much time reading about what is statistically true, I enter a nightmarish cycle of rejecting what should be true: Taylor’s life is young, filled with hope, and guaranteed every opportunity. What is should not be. And that is why I write. I adamantly believe that the Christian community can do more. Since August, my sister and I have pulled Taylor into our friend group. Within the kind, accepting arms of our network, Taylor has gone camping, spent long weekends in the mountains, attended church, learned volleyball, enjoyed hiking, received Christmas gifts, learned to cook, been tutored in academics, conversed on dozens of new topics, and learned much about a world outside of her natural reach.

" I A D A M A N T LY B E L I E V E T H AT T H E C H R I S T I A N COMMUNITY CAN DO MORE."

Taylor regularly introduces Kristin and me as her “moms.” Every time she does this, I think about the fact that Jesus pointed at his disciples and said, “Who is my mother and who are my brothers? Whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother." Taylor has deeply challenged the way that I think about family. I find myself wondering if—in our efforts to push against culture’s reshaped definition of “love” or “family”— we’ve actually drawn the borders too narrowly. There was a time when neighbors became the immediate support system for parentless children. Historically, the cause was probably death; today, that has shifted to divorce and dysfunction. But the pain and loss for the child is no less.

There are over 500,000 foster kids in the US. Many of them languish in group homes, state facilities, or overcrowded foster homes. Foster care and adoption aren’t for everyone. But everyone should wrestle with the question: What am I doing to care for the children of my city? Does a child who is otherwise “unloved” know that someone cares because of the way that I invest my time? If not me, then who? Anyone who has done foster care will tell you that it’s hard. It is. But I would argue that the children at risk shoulder far more burden and trauma than anyone who decides to get involved. Between their need for physical, social, medical, legal, and educational services, there are many points where loving and caring people can make a difference. If nothing else, look for a way to know and love a family who is in the foster trenches. Even a few hours of babysitting on a Friday night communicates so much. As I write this, Taylor is sleeping in a crisis stabilization unit. After her mom expressed indifference regarding whether she lived or died, Taylor half-heartedly attempted suicide. I’m no professional, but I don’t think she’s “mentally unstable” or “ill.” She’s lost, experiencing blatant rejection from both her family and society, and she knows it. She needs love. I can’t fix generations of wrongs, much less one life. But I can push the needle just a little in changing the story for tomorrow. I visited Taylor today. I’ll visit again tomorrow. What else can I do when she ends our time saying, “Seeing you is better than any therapy or counseling session. At least when I say ‘I love you,’ I know you’ll say it back.” MICHELLE WRIGHT (Government ’11) lives in Denver,

CO and works as a Global Curriculum Designer for McKinsey Social Initiative. If you would like to explore getting involved in foster care, reach out to Michelle: mwright88@gmail.com.

The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children found that 60 PERCENT of child sex trafficking victims were in foster care or group homes when they ran away.

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A 2006 study found that adolescents in foster care are nearly TWO AND A HALF TIMES MORE LIKELY to seriously consider suicide than other youth.

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Victims in the Valley WRITTEN BY

Olivia Enos

Fighting exploitation in the worst refugee crisis since World War II.

e were just 30 minutes from the Syrian border as our caravan hurtled down the dusty road from Beirut to the Beqaa Valley. “That’s the road to Damascus,” our handler said, pointing out the window to the east. I thought of the hundreds of thousands that must have fled down that road over the past five years of the Syrian civil war. Soon I would be face to face with many of them.

FEATU R ES

I found myself in Lebanon in September 2016 as part of my human rights work with the Heritage Foundation. Roughly 6,000 miles away from Washington, D.C. where I live and work, a humanitarian disaster of staggering proportions was –and still is – unfolding before the world’s eyes.

As a human rights advocate, my job that week was to meet with refugees living in tented settlements that dot the Lebanese landscape, assess their conditions, and bring back a report on the unfolding humanitarian situation. Little did I know, this would be one of the most perspective-altering trips of my life. As our caravan arrived, we were greeted by a Syrian family. A little girl hugged her father’s leg, cautiously but curiously peering at our delegation as we entered the settlement of dust and tents. Slowly but surely, more children emerged from their makeshift homes – easily outnumbering the adults. There were girls with Hello Kitty hair clips, boys with toy guns, and babies cradled in their mothers arms. They seemed joyful in those moments. But their joy belied the reality of the dire situation they faced. It wasn’t until we entered the home of a Muslim refugee family that we learned just how desperate conditions actually were. The family had nine children; we only met four. “Where are your other children?” one member of our delegation inquired. The father answered, “I am ill and cannot get a work permit in Lebanon. My children are at work.” Their labor, he said, was a matter of survival. Many families around the world find themselves in situations like this. Not-yet-adolescents are put to work in fields, stores, and all types of manual work keeping them far removed from the watchful eyes of their parents. Almost all of these children are at risk of entering the dark world of exploitation from forced labor and sex trafficking. I first began studying this issue in 2014 when I was tasked with authoring the capstone paper for Heritage on international human trafficking. At the time, few think tanks were researching this global scourge that impacts an estimated 21 million people worldwide, according to the International Labor Organization. Concerted efforts undertaken by the U.S. government to address human trafficking only began at the very end of the Clinton administration and since then, each successive administration has continued to deepen U.S. commitments to address trafficking in persons. Children are naturally among the most vulnerable. According to the U.S. Department of State, the greatest forms of youth exploitation include child sex trafficking, forced child labor, and the unlawful recruitment and use of child soldiers. Each of these becomes a greater threat when F OUNDE RS M A GA Z I NE S PR IN G 2017

children and families are displaced by conflict. The United Nations (UN) reported that at least 65.3 million people were refugees, asylum seekers, or internally displaced persons at the end of 2015. According to the UN, these are the highest numbers since World War II. The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) has taken advantage of those vulnerabilities in the Middle East, using human trafficking and human smuggling to fund its terrorist activities. Some of the most horrifying stories come from thousands of Yazidi women and girls – abducted and sold on the market as slaves by ISIS. The group also forcibly recruits boys as young as 8 years old to fight, using them as human shields, informants, bomb makers, and suicide bombers, according to the 2016 TIP report. These are not just reports, but realities for the families I met in the Bequaa Valley. Caught between the Syrian regime of Bashar al-Assad and the terrors of ISIS, they have few options. One Muslim Syrian refugee, a nine-year-old girl named Doha, had spent six years of her short life living in that settlement. I remember as she tugged on my arm and offered to braid my hair. For a moment she might have been any other young girl.

"FOR A MOMENT SHE MIGHT HAVE BEEN ANY OTHER YOUNG GIRL."

But Doha, like so many children in that region and around the world, is in real danger. She appeared not to work, though I’m sure it is only a matter of time. As we played that afternoon in the camp, she clung to my arm; there seemed a sense of urgency in this young 9-year-olds face and grasp. The vision of her and two other little girls waving good-bye as our bus departed is forever seared in my mind. Tears streamed down my face as I considered what I could do to help. Before I met Doha, I knew that I wanted to fight for the oppressed. Isaiah 1:17 is a clear call to all Christians to defend the oppressed: “Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; A PU BLICATIO N OF PATRICK H EN RY COLLEG E

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" T H E N E E D F O R P E O P L E T O S A C R I F I C I A L LY S E R V E – E I T H E R T H R O U G H P R AY E R , G I V I N G , D I R E C T S E RV I C E , O R C R A F T I N G J U S T P O L I C Y – I S G R E A T. "

plead the case of the widow.” But meeting Doha and the other Syrian refugees made that call all the more clear. This is a matter of defending life, and we are not helpless to defend their cause. In my work on human trafficking, I have highlighted a number of elements that are essential to any successful antitrafficking strategy (see below). The need for people to sacrificially serve – either through prayer, giving, direct service, or crafting just policy – is great. And perhaps above all, the global Church must be committed to the call to defend the life of every vulnerable person. It is my hope that the Church and its members will respond. Because children like Doha have a right to life. I pray it’s a life full of dreams, not exploitation.

DOHA (CENTER) AND TWO REFUGEE GIRLS IN BEQAA VALLEY

COURTESY OLIVA ENOS

OLIVIA ENOS (Government ’12) is a Research Associate at

the Heritage Foundation, specializing in human rights and transnational criminal issues. She is also a columnist for Forbes and the cofounder of the Council on Asian Affairs, a network for Asian policy professionals in Washington, D.C.

Ending It: Strategies To Stop Global Trafficking ESTABLISH AND SUSTAIN STRONG RULE-OF-LAW INITIATIVES. Trafficking victims need access to noncorrupt law enforcement; lawyers, and judges should be mobilized to defend victims and prosecute traffickers. International Justice Mission (IJM), an anti-trafficking NGO, has developed a model that has meaningfully reduced the prevalence of child sex trafficking in places like in Cebu, Philippines, which saw a 79 percent decrease in the availability of minors for commercial sex.

INCREASE RISK TO TRAFFICKERS. Trafficking is alluring because of the profits. Estimates suggest that annual profits may exceed $150 billion. In order to stem the tide, those numbers must be threatened. One way this can be done is by mobilizing financial tools of engagement, such as anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing tools.

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MOBILIZE COMMUNITIES. As Gary Haugen, founder of IJM, says, “Nothing will happen just because we’re aware of modern-day slavery. But nothing will ever happen until we are.” Sustained government efforts are crucial, but ending trafficking requires the mobilization of communities, especially the Church. Faith communities should view this as a component of the call to defend human life and seek to augment government with services like counseling and job training to help rehabilitate victims and ensure that they are not re-victimized.

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Tomorrow's Constant WRITTEN BY

Oree Wyatt

â&#x20AC;&#x153;I

Where do we turn when life begins to fade?

n sorrow we must go, but not in despair. Behold! We are not bound forever to the circles of the world, and beyond them is more than memory.â&#x20AC;? - Aragorn, Lord of The Rings, The Return of the King

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I find it strange when people expect a long and full life. We have no guarantee of such a life. Some of us will have it, and some of us will not. We all have yesterdays and todays, and perhaps even some of us have tomorrows here on earth – though eventually none of us will.

Such tomorrows are question marks of life. Dad’s question marks ended on December 27, 2014. It was a grey day almost two years earlier when my parents told our family that Dad was terminally ill with ALS – a degenerative disease with no cure that causes progressive, unending muscle atrophy (we later discovered that he was also ill with Lyme disease). Dad was 50 years old at the time and since the previous fall, his physical strength had been failing, forcing him to use a walker. We were wondering why, and now we knew. The question marks of tomorrow became ever more questions as we learned of death. In reality, we all die moment by moment, each instant bringing us closer to that great “leveler of all humanity,” as the poet James Shirley called it. Watching a condensed version of life in Dad, I saw death so present and noticeable as his muscles disappeared and dementia began to invade. I felt death’s fingers clawing at my father’s skin and watched it jab thorns into his mind – over and over and over again. Moment by moment, day by day, and month by month. While ALS accelerated Dad’s journey to death, I realized it's a journey we all share as each moment of living brings us closer to dying. Though I did not deserve it, God blessed me with parents who faithfully pursued Him and, by example, showed me how to do so on my own. I witnessed the final making of what is, perhaps, Dad’s strongest legacy – his never-ending pursuit of God. As death gazed at him in those final days and months, I watched him wrestle with fear for his family and what was important in life. Will they have enough? Did I raise my children well? What will happen to them when I am gone? As Dad’s body rushed to death, he recorded videos for us, his family, to say what he would want to say in the years we would not have together. In those videos, I not only see his heart for God and for his family, but I also hear his failing voice as his diaphragm struggles for air against weakening muscles. In his videos, I see a man desperately fighting to impart wisdom to those he loves. The fears never went away for Dad, yet I watched him

maintain a strong reliance on God. Even in pain, he left a legacy of faith, love, and obedience as he pursued God and interacted with family, friends, and others. You see, Dad’s pursuit of God was not meant to get him somewhere tomorrow – it was where he was supposed to be in the moment. Dad knew this, and he chose to follow God where He would lead. In my estimation, he ran the race well. Despite his failing state and the turmoil surrounding the illness, God’s salvific love never waned according to the promises of Scripture. God still saw value in the man He died for – even when that man was reduced to a lump of flesh with a hurting brain. In an ultimate sense, God sees value in and loves the people he created, even as they decay unto death. Dignity in life is not limited by health or age or circumstances. Life is treasured because it is authored by God, from first to last. And in the end, Dad walked through death to the victory Christ won and the final tomorrow, a tomorrow with no question marks.

"LIFE IS TREASURED BECAUSE IT IS AUTHORED BY GOD, F R O M F I R S T T O L A S T. "

From the first day of this experience, the inconstancy of life tripped me so that my face smashed against whatever floor of theory I had been walking on. Theory can get you somewhere, but it cannot shatter you so that you taste blood in your mouth because the ground you fell upon is hard and oh so very real. Falling on reality forces you to make decisions about how you are going to live. And through it, I came to decide, as I believe Dad did, that God is the only constant in life and so we must live for Him.

OREE WYATT is a senior at PHC and hails from Oklahoma. Oree has been involved in numerous academic projects while at

PHC and enjoys investing in the friends and community around him. F OUNDE RS M A GA Z I NE S PRIN G 2017

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The

GREAT OU TDOORS

Northern Virginia is a treasure-trove of outdoor adventures. We asked intrepid students to tell us about the best diamonds in the rough right in PHCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s backyard.

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Catch a sunset at Bears Den and Raven Rocks Bears Den and Raven Rocks are two of the mostvisited adventure spots in the area and just 15 minutes from PHC. Where the Appalachian Trail crosses Highway 7, you’ll find great hiking, rock climbing, and plenty of vistas. For a short hike and a stunning view to the east, head south on the trail to Bears Den. For those looking for a longer adventure, head north toward the cliffs of Raven Rocks, a perfect spot for campfires and soaking in the best of the Shenandoah. Pro tip: bring a hammock along to enjoy the views in comfort.

— Maggie McKneely (Government ’17)

Take in the views at Blackburn Trail Center: Blackburn Trail Center is an access point to the Appalachian Trail north of Round Hill, Virginia. Unlike popular destinations, Bear’s Den and Raven Rocks, Blackburn is a more secluded destination. Situated just below the ridgeline, the trail center offers a variety of services including overnight accommodations and trail access. But the best thing about Blackburn is the view. About half a mile from the trail center there’s an outcropping of rock that offers a spectacular view of the Shenandoah Valley. Unlike similar views in the Loudoun area, Blackburn looks over a largely rural part of the valley. Free of road noise and city lights, this is the perfect spot for an afternoon picnic, an evening bonfire, and catching spectacular sunsets

— Peter Thompson (Economics and Business Analytics ’18)

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Bike the C&O Canal Towpath at Harpers Ferry Most locals will refer you to the local town of Harpers Ferry for the tubing, hiking, or historical touring. However, the best adventure is found on the refurbished towpath that was built for the C&O Canal over a hundred years ago. Bike or walk the towpath’s level surface along the Potomac or Shenandoah rivers and bring a lunch to eat in the shade. For the truly adventurous, the neighboring towns of Shepherdstown and Brunswick lie several miles down the path, making for an excellent day ride there and back again with friends. Looking to overnight? Camping spots down by the river provide ample places to pitch your tent or hang your hammock.

— Clayton Millhouse (Strategic Intelligence ’17)

Tube/Boat the Shenandoah at Watermelon Park When the days are long and the heat is high, pack your swim trunks, lunch, something buoyant and head 30 minutes west of campus to Watermelon Park. The park features a broad grassy expanse nestled right up against the lazy Shenandoah River. For a tubing trip, bring an extra vehicle to park under the bridge where Route 7 crosses the river, and tube down the river for a couple of hours from the park. Lazy afternoon guaranteed.

— Clayton Millhouse (Strategic Intelligence ’17)

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Hike Little Devils Stairs For a less congested exploration of Virginia’s wild side, head to Shenandoah’s Little Devils Stairs trail. The route starts innocently in a quiet hollow north of Sperryville, but soon sends hikers scrambling up “stairs” between towering rock walls. The trail follows Keyser Run as it tumbles over colossal boulders and squeezes through crevices in an impressive gorge cut out of the side of the mountain. Once hikers reach the top of the canyon, the trail passes through evidence of a bygone era in Shenandoah as it winds past a century-old cemetery and crumbling stone walls, before finally reaching Skyline Drive. Though the 6-mile hike is aptly named as one of the park’s most strenuous, it is also one of the most rewarding.

— Maggie McKneely (Government ’17)

Road Trip Down Skyline Drive

COOPER MILLHOUSE

Hit the road just an hour and a half south of Purcellville where the famous Skyline Drive weaves its way along the ridges of the Appalachian Mountains in Shenandoah National Park. With continually breathtaking views and plenty of pull-offs with overlooks, Skyline Drive is perfect for a sunny afternoon cruise or sunsetwatching expedition. The dozens of hiking trails that intersect the road throughout the park also provide unbeatable day excursions to the surrounding mountain peaks.

— Clayton Millhouse (Strategic Intelligence ’17)

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MAGGIE MCKNEELY

Explore Manassas National Battlefield Park Manassas Battlefield has something to offer for every kind of adventurer. Site of the 1st and 2nd Battles of Bull Run, the park is chock-full of relics for history buffs. And its nearly 40 miles of trails can keep those looking for an outdoor excursion busy for a long time. Wander through grassy meadows, wind through idyllic woods, and follow the several streams that cut through the park as you adventure through this tribute to Virginia’s history and natural beauty.

— Maggie McKneely (Government ’17)

Take on Epic Old Rag Mountain Anyone who loves hiking in Virginia knows about Old Rag Mountain. A two hour drive south of PHC, this hike follows the Appalachian Trail through some of the state’s most challenging and stunning terrain. A nine mile loop that takes hikers up and down almost 2,500 feet, Old Rag is a must for adventurers who like a little bit of everything. Starting out in the dense forests, the trail eventually gives way to rocky out crops, narrow causeways, steep grades, and lots of scrambling. Grab a good pair of shoes and a sack lunch; it’s not just the view at the top but the whole trek that makes Old Rag one of the best adventures around.

— Harvest Prude (Journalism ’18)

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CHANCELLOR’S CORNER

Thoughts from PHC’s Founder and Chancellor Emeritus Dr. Michael Farris

Fake News and Moral Absolutes by MICHAEL FARRIS

he Washington Post recently published an extremely interesting opinion piece which seeks to understand the widespread public loss of trust in major institutions of this country. For decades, people have generally held a trust in the media, political institutions, mainline churches, schools, and others occupying important and honored positions in our society. However, that trust has by and large eroded today.

Right now we are hearing quite a bit about “fake news.” The term first arose during the election when completely manufactured news stories from nonsources quickly turned viral in the election frenzy. The term was then adopted by President Trump to characterize liberal media sources like the New York Times and what he says is factually baseless reporting with a thinly veiled agenda. However, the author of this Washington Post article, Bill Bishop, takes a deeper dive into the question. He

acknowledges this crisis of trust on both sides and theorizes that it arises from the very nature of modern life. I agree to some extent, but he overlooks the most important factor in modernity that, I would submit, is chiefly responsible for this loss of trust. For generations, Americans were taught by these institutions that there were certain things that were always right and other things that were always wrong. But around the time that I was in school in the 1960s, moral absolutes began to be

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replaced by moral relativism. When right and wrong become relative, truth cannot be judged. All things quickly fall into a murky world of relative perspective. A loss of truth inevitably leads to a loss of trust. There are many areas where this decay is deeply concerning, but I find its impact on the law to be among the most critical. Without fixed and knowable standards of right and wrong, a nation cannot operate a just legal system. The very definition of justice requires that the standards are steady and that people

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“The very definition of justice requires that the standards are steady and that people can know them.... And here we find the problem: the very institutions that have taught us there are no moral absolutes are now the institutions we no longer believe."

can know them. Laws which cannot be understood by those required to obey them are deemed to be “unconstitutionally void for vagueness.” And here we find the problem: the very institutions that have taught us that there are no moral absolutes are now the institutions we no longer believe. Murder used to have a fixed meaning. Then the Supreme Court said that killing babies was a newly discovered constitutional right. Marriage had a fixed meaning. Then the Supreme Court said that same-sex marriage was a newlydiscovered constitutional right. Now we are seeing the rise of transgendered rights. Gender itself was fixed and knowable. New discoveries claim to show that it is fluid and self-defining. The legal landscape ahead is troubling. Opposition forces are not content to win their own right to marry whom they will or kill whom they will. They insist that others join with them on all these fronts – threatening to obliterate freedom of conscience in the process. Last year, Ken Stormans, a pharmacy owner in Washington State, lost his appeal to stop the state from forcing him

to sell abortion drugs (Ken and I used to be elders together at Westwood Baptist Church in Olympia, WA.) Similarly, bakers, florists, visual artists, and printers across the country are being coerced to create message-laden products or services in clear violation of traditional rules of freedom of speech. Being able to sniff out these relative standards (or lack thereof) is critical. We know when journalists biasedly select certain stories and “facts” to include that achieve a desired end, they are not pursuing truth. Rather, they are telling us their version of a corner of the truth – one they wish us to know to advance an agenda. We should demand more. Similarly, we don’t believe the churches that teach moral relativism. By and large, they are losing members because they offer the same thing one can find for free – and in a more entertaining fashion – on television (churches that teach moral absolutes, by the way, are thriving on the whole). Over the past 30 years, I have watched the homeschooling movement explode largely because parents wanted their children to learn Truth which

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requires moral absolutes as a foundation. Trying to learn Truth in a school which denies the existence of moral absolutes is, by definition, an impossible task. Whatever the issue or the side, fake news and fake laws arise when moral relativism rules the day. The media may be campaigning for the importance of discovering truth, but it will always fall short as long as they lack a basis of ultimate Truth. Building confidence in our society’s biggest institutions has to start with knowable standards, and standards mean right and wrong. Those standards are found in the clear commands of JudeoChristian teachings. There we find the stable bedrock upon which lasting trust can thrive. There simply is no workable alternative. Michael Farris is President, CEO, and General Counsel at Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), the world’s largest Christian legal advocacy network fighting for religious liberty, life, and protection of the family. He is also Chancellor Emeritus of Patrick Henry College and sits on the Board of Trustees.

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SNAPSHOTS OF THE PAST THROUGH THE EYES OF PHC ALUMNI

COURTESY JAMES AND KIRA NELSON

ETHAN FOSTER, GOVERNMENT '14

I FONDLY REMEMBER A GROUP OF STUDENTS AT PATRICK HENRY COLLEGE THAT FREQUENTLY GATHERED FOR SPONTANEOUS “PRAYER WALKS.”

The group often started as just a handful of students who would walk through the six halls of our dormitory, praying for the students in each wing and enlisting other (usually sleepless) recruits along the way. As a night owl who needed frequent breaks from writing papers and reading textbooks,

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Charlottesville, Virginia I found that these times gave me the perfect opportunity to take my mind off of my own stress, express gratitude to God for my community, and pray for the particular needs of every student, most of whom I knew by name. As these walks became more popular, our troupe sometimes split into two groups and took turns praying. The prayer walks added an element of tangibility and spiritual intimacy to intercession that I had never experienced or considered before.

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CHRISTINE MCDONALD

Re (COLLECTIONS )

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Sarasota, FL

BECCA CHIN-YEE, LITERATURE '10

ONE OF MY FAVORITE MEMORIES WAS THE DAY I ACCIDENTALLY LAUNCHED THE SADIE HAWKINS DANCE AT PHC, WHICH IS STILL A TRADITION TODAY.

I was always excited about organizing community events for the campus, which is how I ended up helping the Alexis de Tocqueville Society (an oncampus student organization) with the Valentine's dance. Not many people had signed up, so in an attempt to boost ticket sales, I challenged a group of five girls to ask guy friends to the dance in the most creative ways possible. The results were hilarious

and it quickly became a campus-wide Sadie Hawkins craze. Before I knew it, over 30 girls were participating and the guys got a little taste of how the girls feel. In the end, there was standing room only at that Valentine's dance. I always loved the dances at PHC because they were a lot of fun, a welcome break from the normal routine, and a great excuse for getting dressed up.

Round Hill, VA

JENNIFER SCHLAUDT, LITERATURE '07

COURTESY NANCY ZIEMNICK

I ENJOYED MANY ASPECTS OF MY TIME AT PHC, BUT MY VERY FAVORITE THING WAS STUDENTLED WORSHIP.

It happened everywhere—in the stairwells, where spontaneous groups soaked in matchless acoustics; in Sunday Evening Worship, where a guy with a guitar led an hour of song and prayer that buoyed up the coming week; in chapel, where 300-some attendees lifted hearts and hands with all their might to fill Town Hall with fervent praise.

were drowning sorrows with songs. I almost forgot that my family had just driven away. Worship sealed my sanity on days when exhaustion and stress loomed larger than life. It lifted my gaze beyond the hurdles of the moment and refocused my mind on the things that really mattered. And worship was my comfort as a departing senior, heartbroken about leaving the campus I loved. I ducked into the back row of a darkened Town Hall and joined the singers' declaration: "It's all about You, Jesus, and all this is for You – for Your glory and Your fame.”

Worship was my first comfort as a tear-streaked freshman. I will always remember Brittainy (Spena) Anderson pulling me to the brick walk in front of Founders Hall, where some RAs

Long after I left PHC, those moments of worship and abandon and triumph reverberated through my soul. They are the college’s sweetest legacy in my life.

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S P O T L I G HT S

WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

C L A S S NO T E S

NEW S

F E AT URE S

DI S PATCH ES

ALU MN I

SU N D R IES

’12 CH AR LO TTESVILLE, VA

Holly Slon (Vradenburgh) Partner at Denise Y. Lunsford, LLC

After graduating from PHC, Holly (History ’12) attended University of Virginia Law School and committed to making Charlottesville her home. After a few years in private practice, Holly moved to the Albemarle County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office and worked as an Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney, prosecuting a variety of cases from traffic infractions to first degree murder. She joined Denise Y. Lunsford, LLC as a partner in 2016. Holly serves on the Community Relations Committee of the Charlottesville Albemarle Bar Association and as a volunteer officer with two local nonprofits. She and her husband Michael currently live and work in Charlottesville, VA.

’14 N EW H AVEN , CT

John Ehrett Third-Year Law Student at Yale Law School

John (Government ’14) is a third year student at Yale Law School where he serves as Features and Book Reviews Editor of the Yale Law Journal and as a Knight Law and Media Scholar with the Information Society Project. This past summer, he worked as a summer associate at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher in Washington, D.C. Before that, he interned at SCOTUSblog and was a research fellow with the Connecticut Policy Institute. John also frequently writes and contributes to publications like The Federalist and Conciliar Post. John lives in New Haven, CT.

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ALU MN I

’08 R E S T ON , VA

William and Natalie Glaser Criminal Division Appellate Section for the U.S. Department of Justice (Will); Full time mom (Natalie) Will (History ’08) works for the U.S. Department of Justice in the Criminal Division's Appellate Section where he briefs and argues cases in the Federal Courts of Appeals around the country. As part of his role, Will also writes first drafts of U.S. Supreme Court briefs that are subsequently revised and filed by the Office of the Solicitor General. Natalie (Harris) (Journalism ’08) is a full time mom, using her love of good stories to help her family love and preserve their own. Will and Natalie live in Northern Virginia with their two daughters Linnea and Luci.

’05 WA S H IN GT O N , D .C.

Abigail Rodriguez (Pilgrim) Vice President of Development and Executive Producer at Outrun the Sun/ NHNZ Abigail (Journalism ’05) has spent the past 10 years working as a documentary television producer, writer, and developer. Before helping launch Outrun the Sun, a film production company, she worked in production for National Geographic Studios on series including Monsterfish and Explorer. In development, she worked on special events like Eat: A Story of Food as well as series for the National Geographic Channel and Wild Channels. Abigail is based in Washington, D.C. where she lives with her husband and three children.

F OUNDE RS M A GA Z I NE S PR IN G 2016

TO SUBMIT ALUMNI U P D AT E S

Visit phc.edu/alumniand-friends or email magazine @phc.edu. We’d love to hear from you!

A PU BLICATIO N OF PATRICK H EN RY COLLEG E

A PATRICK HENRY COLLEGE EDUCATION

IS CLOSER THAN YOU THINK.

The best in classical Christian liberal arts is now available online. V I S I T W W W.P H C .E D U / D I S TA N C E-L E A R N I N G T O F I N D O U T M O R E F OUNDE RS M A GA Z I NE S PRIN G 2016

A PU BLICATIO N OF PATRICK H EN RY COLLEG E

NE W S

S P O T L I G HT S

F E AT URE S

DI S PATCH ES

ALU MN I

SU N DR IES

SUNDRIES SUDOKU

On January 27th, many PHC students and alumni headed for the streets of Washington, D.C. to participate in the 44th annual March for Life.

days when The Herald printed Sudoku

COURTESY PATRICK HENRY HERALD

Some PHC alumni will remember the SNAPSHOTS

puzzles on the back page. Friendly competitions

became

Friday

lunchtime tradition around the dining commons. In honor of that tradition, we offer a Sudoku puzzle here for your problem solving enjoyment.

Abo ve: Alumni join thousands of other pro-life marchers in front of the Supreme

Court during the March for Life.

COURTESY ELISABETH BOEHM

SNAPSHOTS SUBMISSIONS Have a shot you’d like to share? Maybe it’s a scenic vista from campus or a picture of you and other alumni friends on the other side of the world. Each issue, we will take submissions at Magazine@phc.edu and feature our favorites.

Abo ve: Alumnae Elisabeth Boehm (Long) (Government ’10) and Joanna Walters

(Griffith) (Government ’12) march with tens of thousands on the streets of Washington.

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A APU BLICATIO NNOF EN RY EE PU BLICATIO OFPATRICK PATRICKHH EN RYCOLLEG COLLEG

for

CHRIST and for

LIBERTY PATRICK HENRY COLLEGE WAS FOUNDED IN 2000 WITH A VISION TO RESTORE AMERICA BY EDUCATING THE BEST AND BRIGHTEST CHRISTIAN STUDENTS TO TAKE THEIR PLACE AS FUTURE LEADERS OF THE NATION AND ITS CULTURE. ITS MISSION IS TO PREPARE CHRISTIAN MEN AND WOMEN WHO WILL LEAD OUR NATION AND SHAPE OUR CULTURE WITH TIMELESS BIBLICAL VALUES AND FIDELITY TO THE SPIRIT OF THE AMERICAN FOUNDING. TO LEARN MORE, SUPPORT THE MISSION OF PHC, O R A P P LY T O AT T E N D, V I S I T W W W.P H C .E D U

FF OUNDE RS AA GA ZZ I NE PR IN GG2017 OUNDE RSMM GA I NES SPRIN 2016

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A APU BLICATIO NNOF EN RY EE PU BLICATIO OFPATRICK PATR ICKHH EN RYCOLLEG COLLEG

10 PATR IC K HENRY CIRCL E PU R C E LLVI LL E, VA. 20132 W W W. P H C . EDU

SAVE the DATE MAY 13

JUNE 8

Ravi Zacharias – Spring ’17 Commencement Speaker

Alumni Get-Together – Washington, D.C. SEPTEMBER 19

AUGUST 2 1

First Day of Classes – Fall 2017

F OUNDE RS M A GA Z I NE S PRIN G 2016

Fall ’17 Faith and Reason Lecture (Speaker TBA) A PU BLICATIO N OF PATRICK H EN RY COLLEG E