| From | Intercollegiate Review <[email protected]> |
| Subject | Force of law |
| Date | January 16, 2025 7:08 PM |
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The best of intellectual conservative thought.
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CATEGORY: POLITICS (29 MIN)
The shadow campaign
[link removed]
It’s a political axiom that those in power seek to stay in power. But in a free nation, one wishes that the efforts of our leaders to remain at the top would be both transparent and lawful. In a series of reports last month, the House of Representatives released evidence that (among other things) President Joe Biden’s administration had censored opposing views and targeted conservatives with law enforcement.
Kenin M. Spivak, writing for The American Mind, delivers a deep and wide-ranging dive into the results of these House reports, discussing the evidence of potential abuses from the most recent administration. Spivak starts with the January 6 Committee, noting various acts and omissions indicating a heavily biased process.
He continues by laying out the wealth of evidence that the Biden administration pressured private companies into eliminating conservative and independent messaging. Spivak says that the FBI asked and even told social media companies to censor journalists and thinkers based on the content of their speech.
During the 2020 election, according to Spivak, the reports reveal the FBI’s efforts to silence stories about Hunter Biden and his family’s possible corruption despite being in possession of Hunter’s laptop. And more recently, Spivak notes the FTC’s “aggressive campaign” to attack Twitter (now X) in the immediate aftermath of Elon Musk’s purchase of the platform.
Read more of Spivak’s analysis from the reports here.
Read Now
[link removed]
Weekly Poll
Should the government step in to stop misinformation on social media?
[A] Yes
[B] No
[C] Not sure
[link removed]
RESULTS: 12/12/2024
What do you think of the H-1B program?
[A] It’s good as is - 20.5%
[B] It needs reforms - 18.2%
[C] It should go - 45.5%
[D] Not sure - 15.9%
[link removed]
CATEGORY: CRIME (7 MIN)
Cleaning streets
[link removed]
Last month, videos of a horrific attack in which a man set a woman on fire aboard a New York City subway train flooded social media. Visitors to the Big Apple in recent years have become more fearful of the potential for violence in the city—a place which has seen drastic ups and downs in the past few decades.
In UnHerd, Michael Alcazar, a former NYPD officer for more than 30 years, writes on the problems that have led to dangerous times in New York City. Alcazar recalls that at the beginning of his tenure in the early 1990s, he and other officers were involved in many operations to stop minor crimes that could snowball into major ones—crimes that would “foster an atmosphere of lawlessness.”
Alcazar believes those efforts worked. And importantly, he says that at that time, the people, the city, the nation, and the officers themselves respected the police force. But Alcazar argues that pressure to stop-and-frisk caused high-profile negative interactions between police and civilians, interactions that eventually led to movements like Black Lives Matter and what “felt like an all-out war on police and law and order.”
Now, Alcazar says, New York’s failure to aggressively prosecute crime and a low respect for the police have given criminals confidence in a lack of consequences. Alcazar urges the city to deal with mental health and social issues using forces other than the police while simultaneously increasing police presence in the subway and undercover work.
Read about Alcazar’s experience here.
Read Now
[link removed]
[link removed]
CATEGORY: VIDEO
Rethinking Economics with Samuel Gregg
[link removed]
Dan McCarthy sits down with Dr. Samuel Gregg to explore his work at the American Institute for Economic Research (AIER) and dive into pressing issues in modern economics. They discuss the deficiencies in how economics is taught at universities, the connection between free markets, freedom, and virtue, the growing skepticism toward free markets, and the urgent need for a revival in economic thought that resonates with the wider public.
Watch Now
[link removed]
Because our student editors and writers are bravely bringing conservative ideas to their campuses, we’re highlighting their efforts here.
The 20th Anniversary of Larry Summers’ Remarks and the Debut of Cancel Culture
[link removed]
via The Harvard Salient
“Twenty years ago, Harvard President Lawrence Summers delivered a speech at an economics conference which, as a later Crimson article asserts, “started the war.” As a student in 2005, I viewed the event as a simple battle between open inquiry and political correctness. As an alum looking back, I see it as the debut of what we know today as cancel culture. The conference was convened by the National Bureau of Economic Research to discuss diversity in the science and engineering workforce. In his remarks, which referenced various studies proposing explanations for the underrepresentation of women in STEM, Summers discussed the importance of rigorously thinking about ways to increase female representation.”
Should UVA Chip In? Exploring PILOT’s Impact on Charlottesville
[link removed]
via The Jefferson Independent
“Charlottesville officials and UVA students, particularly members of the university’s Student Council, are calling on the University of Virginia to participate in a Payment In Lieu Of Taxes (“PILOT”) program to address critical local funding gaps. As a nonprofit institution, UVA is exempt from property taxes despite owning extensive real estate in Charlottesville and Albemarle County. Critics argue this exemption deprives the city of vital revenue for public projects. A PILOT program could generate millions annually to support affordable housing, infrastructure improvements, and public schools, alleviating economic disparities and bolstering community resources.”
Former WSJ Editor-in-Chief to Visit W&L
[link removed]
via The W&L Spectator
"Join The W&L Spectator to hear former Wall Street Journal Editor-in-Chief Gerard Baker speak in Lee Chapel on Monday, January 27th at 7:30 P.M. His talk, “Donald Trump and the New American Revolution,” will examine the modern Republican Party’s efforts to reshape the United States and broader global order. Mr. Baker is currently Editor-At-Large of The Wall Street Journal and writes the “Free Expression” column, which appears on the Journal’s editorial page on Tuesdays. He also hosts a WSJ podcast of the same name and recently published a book, American Breakdown: Why We No Longer Trust Our Leaders and Institutions and How We Can Rebuild Confidence."
The Politics of the Playing Field: The Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act
[link removed]
via The Texas Horn
"In a move guaranteed to ignite both applause and outrage—sometimes from the same household—the U.S. House of Representatives has passed the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act. The vote, 218-206, gives us a front-row seat to America’s favorite sport: cultural warfare. Spearheaded by Rep. Greg Steube (R-FL), the legislation redefines “sex” under Title IX as the biology and genetics you’re born with, not what you pick up along the way. It’s a legal shot heard ’round the locker rooms. This bill comes at a time when the topic of transgender athletes competing in women’s sports is as inescapable as pickleball. And while Lia Thomas may have taken home trophies—and think pieces—in 2022, it’s a recent college volleyball debacle that has set the nation spiking once again. San Jose State University’s women’s volleyball team became a flashpoint last year when opponents refused to play against them, citing the presence of a transgender athlete on the team. What
followed was a cacophony of boycotts, protests, and Twitter threads long enough to be serialized. The uproar underscores that, no, this issue isn’t “settled” because someone wrote a very earnest op-ed in 2021."
A History of Central Grounds
[link removed]
via The Jefferson Independent
"Central Grounds has changed dramatically over the past two centuries since the founding of the University of Virginia. From the Amphitheatre to the two Cabell Halls, the University approaches its 200th anniversary shockingly different and practically unrecognizable from its founding, except for parts of the Lawn and Academical Village. Once students and faculty began to arrive in 1825, they found quite a small university, containing only the Rotunda, Lawn, and Ranges. One additional building was also constructed—one often forgotten today. The Anatomical Theater (for the showing of medical dissections) began construction in 1825 and finished in 1827. The diminutive campus required more general class and dormitory space, seeing the addition of the Annex to the northern side of the Rotunda in 1853. Three more buildings were constructed from the 1850s to 1890s, first being Varsity Hall, first opened as an infirmary in 1858 to stem a deadly typhoid outbreak. This
out-of-place structure sits at the end of Hospital Drive, east of East Range and Rouss Hall. Additions made to Rouss Hall in the early 2000s saw the building moved close to 200 feet to make way for construction efforts. Brooks Hall, to the east of the Rotunda, was constructed in the 1870s with funding from a UVA-unaffiliated New York textile magnate. Both Varsity and Brooks Halls did not follow “Jeffersonian” architecture, instead reflecting the somewhat disorganized and random additions of the time. While not on Central Grounds, the Observatory was also finished in 1884, a notable achievement given the telescope’s almost record-breaking size at the time. Lastly, the University Chapel began construction in 1885, adding another building to the north side of the Rotunda."
CATEGORY: EDUCATION (11 MIN)
Snapshot of schooling
[link removed]
Many Americans fear that the future of the country is in trouble because we are losing our edge in intelligence. Education has failed to prepare many young people for excellence, AI threatens to take workers’ jobs, and since all information is at our fingertips, our incentive to learn has fallen drastically. But in several communities across our nation, small schools are rededicating themselves to fostering lifelong learning in the youth.
For this week’s article from the Modern Age website, Mark Bauerlein describes a day at a classical Catholic private school in Connecticut: Cardinal Kung Academy. Bauerlein uses his experience as evidence of a “thriving counterculture” involving classical schooling that he hopes more Americans will buy into.
Bauerlein walks through the students’ day, which involves high-level discussions of Paradise Lost, Dante’s Inferno, AP Latin, and religious art. He discusses the insightful and mature comments from the young men and women who seem to truly love the learning experience. The habits and routines that schools like Cardinal Kung establish, Bauerlein argues, bolster students’ faith and personal discipline.
“Indeed, classical schools, Catholic or not, should be supported regardless of one’s religious affiliation,” Bauerlein urges. “All young people should read Milton, have a year or two of Latin, and realize that they’ve inherited a great tradition and inhabit a promising world.”
Read Bauerlein’s article here on the Modern Age website.
Read Now
[link removed]
Thought of the Day:
“The most basic duty of government is to defend the lives of its own citizens. Any government that fails to do so is a government unworthy to lead.”
- Donald J. Trump
Join ISI’s new Alumni Giving Club
It’s never been easier for you to support our mission—and stay part of our community—with ISI’s new Alumni Giving Club!
For just $19.53 a month, you can join the fight and “pay it forward” by educating the next generation for ordered liberty.
Join the Club
[link removed]
Follow on Twitter Friend on Facebook Forward to Friend
Copyright © 2025, All rights reserved.
Our mailing address is:
Intercollegiate Studies Institute
3901 Centerville Road
Wilmington, DE 19807
unsubscribe from all emails
[link removed]
update subscription preferences
[link removed]
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View it in your browser
[link removed]
.
[link removed]
CATEGORY: POLITICS (29 MIN)
The shadow campaign
[link removed]
It’s a political axiom that those in power seek to stay in power. But in a free nation, one wishes that the efforts of our leaders to remain at the top would be both transparent and lawful. In a series of reports last month, the House of Representatives released evidence that (among other things) President Joe Biden’s administration had censored opposing views and targeted conservatives with law enforcement.
Kenin M. Spivak, writing for The American Mind, delivers a deep and wide-ranging dive into the results of these House reports, discussing the evidence of potential abuses from the most recent administration. Spivak starts with the January 6 Committee, noting various acts and omissions indicating a heavily biased process.
He continues by laying out the wealth of evidence that the Biden administration pressured private companies into eliminating conservative and independent messaging. Spivak says that the FBI asked and even told social media companies to censor journalists and thinkers based on the content of their speech.
During the 2020 election, according to Spivak, the reports reveal the FBI’s efforts to silence stories about Hunter Biden and his family’s possible corruption despite being in possession of Hunter’s laptop. And more recently, Spivak notes the FTC’s “aggressive campaign” to attack Twitter (now X) in the immediate aftermath of Elon Musk’s purchase of the platform.
Read more of Spivak’s analysis from the reports here.
Read Now
[link removed]
Weekly Poll
Should the government step in to stop misinformation on social media?
[A] Yes
[B] No
[C] Not sure
[link removed]
RESULTS: 12/12/2024
What do you think of the H-1B program?
[A] It’s good as is - 20.5%
[B] It needs reforms - 18.2%
[C] It should go - 45.5%
[D] Not sure - 15.9%
[link removed]
CATEGORY: CRIME (7 MIN)
Cleaning streets
[link removed]
Last month, videos of a horrific attack in which a man set a woman on fire aboard a New York City subway train flooded social media. Visitors to the Big Apple in recent years have become more fearful of the potential for violence in the city—a place which has seen drastic ups and downs in the past few decades.
In UnHerd, Michael Alcazar, a former NYPD officer for more than 30 years, writes on the problems that have led to dangerous times in New York City. Alcazar recalls that at the beginning of his tenure in the early 1990s, he and other officers were involved in many operations to stop minor crimes that could snowball into major ones—crimes that would “foster an atmosphere of lawlessness.”
Alcazar believes those efforts worked. And importantly, he says that at that time, the people, the city, the nation, and the officers themselves respected the police force. But Alcazar argues that pressure to stop-and-frisk caused high-profile negative interactions between police and civilians, interactions that eventually led to movements like Black Lives Matter and what “felt like an all-out war on police and law and order.”
Now, Alcazar says, New York’s failure to aggressively prosecute crime and a low respect for the police have given criminals confidence in a lack of consequences. Alcazar urges the city to deal with mental health and social issues using forces other than the police while simultaneously increasing police presence in the subway and undercover work.
Read about Alcazar’s experience here.
Read Now
[link removed]
[link removed]
CATEGORY: VIDEO
Rethinking Economics with Samuel Gregg
[link removed]
Dan McCarthy sits down with Dr. Samuel Gregg to explore his work at the American Institute for Economic Research (AIER) and dive into pressing issues in modern economics. They discuss the deficiencies in how economics is taught at universities, the connection between free markets, freedom, and virtue, the growing skepticism toward free markets, and the urgent need for a revival in economic thought that resonates with the wider public.
Watch Now
[link removed]
Because our student editors and writers are bravely bringing conservative ideas to their campuses, we’re highlighting their efforts here.
The 20th Anniversary of Larry Summers’ Remarks and the Debut of Cancel Culture
[link removed]
via The Harvard Salient
“Twenty years ago, Harvard President Lawrence Summers delivered a speech at an economics conference which, as a later Crimson article asserts, “started the war.” As a student in 2005, I viewed the event as a simple battle between open inquiry and political correctness. As an alum looking back, I see it as the debut of what we know today as cancel culture. The conference was convened by the National Bureau of Economic Research to discuss diversity in the science and engineering workforce. In his remarks, which referenced various studies proposing explanations for the underrepresentation of women in STEM, Summers discussed the importance of rigorously thinking about ways to increase female representation.”
Should UVA Chip In? Exploring PILOT’s Impact on Charlottesville
[link removed]
via The Jefferson Independent
“Charlottesville officials and UVA students, particularly members of the university’s Student Council, are calling on the University of Virginia to participate in a Payment In Lieu Of Taxes (“PILOT”) program to address critical local funding gaps. As a nonprofit institution, UVA is exempt from property taxes despite owning extensive real estate in Charlottesville and Albemarle County. Critics argue this exemption deprives the city of vital revenue for public projects. A PILOT program could generate millions annually to support affordable housing, infrastructure improvements, and public schools, alleviating economic disparities and bolstering community resources.”
Former WSJ Editor-in-Chief to Visit W&L
[link removed]
via The W&L Spectator
"Join The W&L Spectator to hear former Wall Street Journal Editor-in-Chief Gerard Baker speak in Lee Chapel on Monday, January 27th at 7:30 P.M. His talk, “Donald Trump and the New American Revolution,” will examine the modern Republican Party’s efforts to reshape the United States and broader global order. Mr. Baker is currently Editor-At-Large of The Wall Street Journal and writes the “Free Expression” column, which appears on the Journal’s editorial page on Tuesdays. He also hosts a WSJ podcast of the same name and recently published a book, American Breakdown: Why We No Longer Trust Our Leaders and Institutions and How We Can Rebuild Confidence."
The Politics of the Playing Field: The Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act
[link removed]
via The Texas Horn
"In a move guaranteed to ignite both applause and outrage—sometimes from the same household—the U.S. House of Representatives has passed the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act. The vote, 218-206, gives us a front-row seat to America’s favorite sport: cultural warfare. Spearheaded by Rep. Greg Steube (R-FL), the legislation redefines “sex” under Title IX as the biology and genetics you’re born with, not what you pick up along the way. It’s a legal shot heard ’round the locker rooms. This bill comes at a time when the topic of transgender athletes competing in women’s sports is as inescapable as pickleball. And while Lia Thomas may have taken home trophies—and think pieces—in 2022, it’s a recent college volleyball debacle that has set the nation spiking once again. San Jose State University’s women’s volleyball team became a flashpoint last year when opponents refused to play against them, citing the presence of a transgender athlete on the team. What
followed was a cacophony of boycotts, protests, and Twitter threads long enough to be serialized. The uproar underscores that, no, this issue isn’t “settled” because someone wrote a very earnest op-ed in 2021."
A History of Central Grounds
[link removed]
via The Jefferson Independent
"Central Grounds has changed dramatically over the past two centuries since the founding of the University of Virginia. From the Amphitheatre to the two Cabell Halls, the University approaches its 200th anniversary shockingly different and practically unrecognizable from its founding, except for parts of the Lawn and Academical Village. Once students and faculty began to arrive in 1825, they found quite a small university, containing only the Rotunda, Lawn, and Ranges. One additional building was also constructed—one often forgotten today. The Anatomical Theater (for the showing of medical dissections) began construction in 1825 and finished in 1827. The diminutive campus required more general class and dormitory space, seeing the addition of the Annex to the northern side of the Rotunda in 1853. Three more buildings were constructed from the 1850s to 1890s, first being Varsity Hall, first opened as an infirmary in 1858 to stem a deadly typhoid outbreak. This
out-of-place structure sits at the end of Hospital Drive, east of East Range and Rouss Hall. Additions made to Rouss Hall in the early 2000s saw the building moved close to 200 feet to make way for construction efforts. Brooks Hall, to the east of the Rotunda, was constructed in the 1870s with funding from a UVA-unaffiliated New York textile magnate. Both Varsity and Brooks Halls did not follow “Jeffersonian” architecture, instead reflecting the somewhat disorganized and random additions of the time. While not on Central Grounds, the Observatory was also finished in 1884, a notable achievement given the telescope’s almost record-breaking size at the time. Lastly, the University Chapel began construction in 1885, adding another building to the north side of the Rotunda."
CATEGORY: EDUCATION (11 MIN)
Snapshot of schooling
[link removed]
Many Americans fear that the future of the country is in trouble because we are losing our edge in intelligence. Education has failed to prepare many young people for excellence, AI threatens to take workers’ jobs, and since all information is at our fingertips, our incentive to learn has fallen drastically. But in several communities across our nation, small schools are rededicating themselves to fostering lifelong learning in the youth.
For this week’s article from the Modern Age website, Mark Bauerlein describes a day at a classical Catholic private school in Connecticut: Cardinal Kung Academy. Bauerlein uses his experience as evidence of a “thriving counterculture” involving classical schooling that he hopes more Americans will buy into.
Bauerlein walks through the students’ day, which involves high-level discussions of Paradise Lost, Dante’s Inferno, AP Latin, and religious art. He discusses the insightful and mature comments from the young men and women who seem to truly love the learning experience. The habits and routines that schools like Cardinal Kung establish, Bauerlein argues, bolster students’ faith and personal discipline.
“Indeed, classical schools, Catholic or not, should be supported regardless of one’s religious affiliation,” Bauerlein urges. “All young people should read Milton, have a year or two of Latin, and realize that they’ve inherited a great tradition and inhabit a promising world.”
Read Bauerlein’s article here on the Modern Age website.
Read Now
[link removed]
Thought of the Day:
“The most basic duty of government is to defend the lives of its own citizens. Any government that fails to do so is a government unworthy to lead.”
- Donald J. Trump
Join ISI’s new Alumni Giving Club
It’s never been easier for you to support our mission—and stay part of our community—with ISI’s new Alumni Giving Club!
For just $19.53 a month, you can join the fight and “pay it forward” by educating the next generation for ordered liberty.
Join the Club
[link removed]
Follow on Twitter Friend on Facebook Forward to Friend
Copyright © 2025, All rights reserved.
Our mailing address is:
Intercollegiate Studies Institute
3901 Centerville Road
Wilmington, DE 19807
unsubscribe from all emails
[link removed]
update subscription preferences
[link removed]
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