Olasky’s Newsmakers Interview Series Engages, Uplifts Patrick Henry College

Patrick Henry College’s Distinguished Chair in Journalism and Public Policy held court across campus in a whirlwind week of interviews and workshops.

In his first official week as Patrick Henry College’s new journalism professor and Distinguished Chair in Journalism and Public Policy, Dr. Marvin Olasky treated the campus to a stimulating array of personalized events and appearances, highlighted by a week-long interview series with prominent lawmakers, policymakers and authors. It all took place in the stylish intimacy of the Barbara Hodel Center Coffee house on the Patrick Henry College campus, and by week’s end, the roster of newsmakers included U.S. Senator Jim DeMint (R-SC), U.S. Representative Trent Franks (R-AZ), Sagamore Institute President Jay Hein, Christian author Ann Voskamp, and Baylor history professor Thomas Kidd.

What was billed as WORLD Magazine Week at Patrick Henry College drew students, faculty, staff, and visitors from the local community to the Hodel Center’s café tables and booths, as they listened intently and joined in stirring discussions about everything from the state of the union to challenges confronting homeschooling moms?

While on the Patrick Henry College campus, Olasky also shared his testimony in a fascinating and humorous chapel message detailing chapters of his early life and journalistic career, when he was a practicing atheist and Communist. Each day saw him holding court at points across the Patrick Henry College campus, teaching journalism classes, sharing post-interview luncheons with distinguished guests and students and filming tutorials for upcoming distance learning classes. He and his wife, Susan, a writer and editor for WORLD Magazine and assistant professor of public policy at Patrick Henry College, also met with and mentored a half-dozen student interns who will be writing for WORLD and its various online editions.

“I think it went very well,” Olasky said of the week-long schedule. “We had excellent guests, and the students’ questions were powerful and astute. The students, in particular, impressed me greatly, and I think the interviewees went away with a very positive sense about the College.”

The inviting setting seemed designed for good conversation and proved especially fitting for Wednesday’s interview with soft-spoken Christian author Ann Voskamp, who wrote One Thousand Gifts: A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are. Querying the author about her creative process while writing One Thousand Gifts, Olasky asked, “So the book some times feels as if you’re preaching to yourself?”

“Exactly, Marvin,” Voskamp replied, speaking barely above a whisper. “I actually preach the Gospel to the person who needs to hear it the most: me. We need to hear the truth of the Gospel over and over and over again. I am chief among sinners. I need the truth of God’s word, and to encounter afresh the grace of Jesus Christ. It is reaching back to me, Marvin.”

Each interview will ultimately appear as a Q&A article in WORLD Magazine and, true to his style, will feature Olasky questions delving not merely into policy analysis or historical fact, but which go deeper into the sometimes personal details of a guest’s background. Exploring these lesser-known chapters of interviewees’ non-public moments demonstrated Olasky’s penchant for research, and often surprised the guests themselves, as when he mentioned the name of a childhood teacher of Arizona Congressman Trent Franks.

A startled, albeit smiling, Franks replied: “I do not know where you got these names and I am going to find out afterward.” As it turns out, Patrick Henry College journalism student Cody Holt assisted Dr. Olasky’s research and helped draft many of the week’s questions.

“Cody was a great help and came up with some good details,” noted Olasky.

The penetrating interview style is, for Olasky, a studied, measured technique, particularly when addressing prominent politicians and public figures. There is, he says, an explicit agenda behind his meticulous preparation that allows him to tap his subjects’ idiosyncratic, rather than strictly official, personas.

“Typically, the pattern of my interviews at the beginning is to have interviewees go through some of their past, particularly when they were students and first began to discern what their calling might be,” he explained. “I think it’s important, especially for Patrick Henry College students, to see world leaders as real live human beings and not just brains on a stick. I want them (subjects) to share about how they first arrived on the road of their present positions, and what they went through while navigating the various turns in their careers. Hopefully, this draws out not just the relevancy of particular policy prescriptions and inside-Washington stuff, but illuminates some of the essences of real living and trying to understand the particular talents that God has given and of the best way to put them to use.

” Of the week’s whirlwind calendar of events, Patrick Henry College Provost Dr. Gene Edward Veith, who is personal friends with the Olaskys, said the prospect of Dr. Olasky’s influence and presence is a boon for both Patrick Henry College and its students.

“To have so many prominent figures on campus,” he said, “from the arenas of politics, public policy, scholarship, and literature, and for our students to be able to not only listen to but also to interact with them, created the kind of stimulating atmosphere associated with the very best institutions of higher education.” Watch our website for news of upcoming Olasky events at Patrick Henry College. To listen to audio or view video archives of these interviews, go to the Patrick Henry College Newsmakers Media Page at www.phc.edu/newsmakers.

Factors to Consider When Looking for a College

Choosing which college to go in can be one of the hardest choices you will ever have to make in your life and taking your time is justified. You wouldn’t want to go to a bad college just because you were asked to rush your opinion. Colleges like Patrick Henry College that offer nothing except the best to students are not easy to find. Keep in mind certain factors to help you get into a decent university. 

Academic majors available 

If you already know what you want to study, you can easily and conveniently check to see if the colleges on your short list offer the specific major you want. If you are one of those thousands of people who still don’t have their major figured out, make sure the colleges you are interested in have a wide variety of majors to choose from. This can help you explore and select your ideal field without shifting to another college. 

Affordable cost of attendance 

The cost of higher education can have long-term implications on your life. It is an important factor to consider when choosing a college. Always ask about tuition and the fees but don’t let the sticker price of your dream college scare you. 

 Ask about financial aid opportunities and scholarships. Most of the time, scholarships can bring the tuition cost down to a reasonable level. 

The campus must make you feel at home

You are bound to spend a couple of years around the campus, and you will be expected to make the campus your home. Therefore, it is essential that the on-campus facilities and amenities are to your liking. 

Patrick Henry College has everything you are looking for in a college. Make sure you research thoroughly before choosing the college of your dreams.

Patrick Henry College- Importance of Biblical Studies in a Student’s Life

There are a plethora of elements that can mold the lives of students in unimaginable ways. Patrick Henry College is house to some of those magnificent elements. While the academic courses help in building up the intellect of the students, secondary courses like music, literature, and Biblical studies help in building up their character. In this article, all we are going to talk about how vital it is to incorporate God's words and verses in our lives.

The Bible is an incredible book of knowledge. It comprises of divine facts which proves that there is a God that created the world. Bible is the word of God. And there is nothing better than indulging in reading the holy book. Many reasons can compel the students to study the word of God at the college. Let us find out.

The word of God is infallible

There is neither a flaw nor an error in God's word. Whatever laws the Lord made are perfect concerning our souls. The Lord's testimony is not only infallible; it is inerrant as well. The purity of God's word does not need anything added to it. It requires no blending of the external elements. In the Bible, God has warned not to misrepresent His scripture. 

The word of God builds up the character of the students

In today's era, it is the need of the hour to make the students involved in the words of God. With everything that is happening across the world, it is vital to believe in everything the God says. In a world so ruthless, Patrick Henry College teaches the students to be compassionate through the verses of the Bible. This is the mere reason of introducing Biblical studies in the academics. 

The word of God is authoritative

As the students study God's word, they are most likely to experience absolute divinity. It is known for a fact that Lord speaks to you through his scriptures. And if we make students study those scriptures at college, they are sure to seek a sense of authority from the voice of the Lord. This would encourage them to indulge in God-pleasing actions.

A sense of empathy is born

When we compel our students to study the word of God, we are encouraging them to be more empathetic, more sensitive, and considerate towards other peoples' feelings. It is the need of the hour to teach our students the word of God. This will help them become better people and make this a better world to live in.

These are a few of the reasons that compel Patrick Henry College to introduce Biblical studies in their curriculum. And if you long to become one of the most devoted and compassionate people out there, indulge in the course of Biblical studies.

Patrick Henry College- Need For Re-Innovating Education For Future Generations

The education system in modern times has been restricted to rote learning or learning without much practical implication. Most of the educational institutes are teaching the children the ways to climb up a corporate ladder, have a nice car, and lots of material possessions. They are making significant achievements professionally but are forgetting the cultural values that will help him follow the right path. Also, they are not taught life skills so that they can learn to manage their mental health. One can make the overall development of their child by enrolling him at Patrick Henry College. Here are a few skills that are taken care of while you enroll here:

Inculcation of religious values: Colleges nowadays focus on preparing their students for the corporate world. This makes them like a machine as they do not know how to deal with life. They are not preparing them for life and their future by not emphasizing life skills. 

Patrick Henry College focuses on the overall development of a child. Started with the motive to spread Christian education with us. 

Practical based knowledge – While most colleges follow the education pattern, which is very old and hasn’t been updated much. This college emphasis on learning by doing concept. Thus the classes are made interactive using the latest technology in learning and the labs which are equipped with the latest equipment.

Learn at home – Sometimes, the financial situation of a person restricts him to work, and this sometimes puts a halt on their education. Don’t let your passion for knowledge die as this college also offers online education. Thus you can learn at the comfort of your home according to your time availability. This would help you to carve your way towards growth and success.

Personal grooming and soft skills training – What makes a student job-ready is their soft skills and the way they dress up for interviews. Thus soft skills and interview ethics are inculcated as a part of the college curriculum. This makes a student confident and paves a way towards a successful future of a child.

Thus a student is ready for life as an adult or for work-life only if there is an overall development of the child. Also, the inculcation of moral values in a child makes them better citizens of the country. Without knowledge and skills combined with human values, life would be purposeless. The quest for knowledge should never stop. Don’t let your work life come in the way of your growth. Thus enroll your child at Patrick Henry College and make way towards a better future of your child.