Anchored by the Classic Learning Test

On this episode of Anchored, Jeremy is joined by Ignat Solzhenitsyn, a critically acclaimed conductor and son of Russian author Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn. Ignat discusses his father's life in the Russian gulag system, how it inspired his father to write The Gulag Archipelago, and the role poetry played in his father's survival. He critiques the American education system, claiming that it does not educate students about the gulags, but rather instills a superficial appeal of certain Communist notions. Ignat states that his father Aleksandr also thought that American society was not living up to its own promises made in the founding documents. He discusses his father's journey from Marxism to Orthodox Christianity. 

On this episode of Anchored, Jeremy is joined by Morénike Giwa Onaiwu, a parent at the Saint Constantine School in Houston. Morénike explains the definition of the word "woke" in the black community, and how it has been misconstrued in mainstream politics as a consequence of creating labels to define political opinions. She discusses the polarization of political thought and states that most people are more nuanced than they are given credit for. Morénike also shares her thoughts on demonizing one group of people, and the inability of many individuals to view life from a non-political lens. 

On this episode of Anchored, Soren is joined by Dr. David Withun, the founding Head of School at Jacksonville Classical Academy and a W.E.B DuBois scholar. He discusses his journey to discovering the Classics, studying W.E.B DuBois, and becoming head of school. Dr. Withun states that it was his desire to help every student have access to a quality classical education that compelled him to take on a leadership position. He also answers questions about the diversity of classical education and military families attending classical schools. 

On this episode of Anchored, Jeremy is joined by Dr. Dan Peterson, Head of School at Regents School of Austin. Dr. Peterson explains that his mission is to not just prepare students to receive higher education, rather it is to prepare them for life. He also discusses the fracturing of what education was really designed for, the importance of a test like CLT, and helping students take ownership of their education. He emphasizes that students should have the freedom to fail because the best way to learn is by failing. 

On this episode of Anchored, Jeremy is joined by Alex Petkas, Princeton graduate and host of the podcast Cost of Glory. He discusses his journey to discovering Christianity and the Classics, ultimately studying at Princeton University and receiving his PhD. Alex states that he noticed a split between the Classics and the Christian tradition in relation to how it was taught in the classroom, and It wasn't until he began his own ancient Greek language program that he became disillusioned with Academia.

On this episode of Anchored, Soren is joined by Matthew Ryan, Host of #CanonChat: a Twitter-based book club for lovers of great literature. He shares his journey to becoming a Catholic school teacher, and explains the difference in teaching at a public school vs. a Catholic school. He also discusses movements that want to cancel the Classics, the universality of the Great Books, and his Twitter book club. 

On this episode of Anchored, Jeremy is joined by Martin Cothran, Author of Memoria Press' Traditional Logic, Material Logic, and Classical Rhetoric programs. Martin discusses the education reforms that took place at the turn of the 20th century, and how they shifted emphasis from moral formation to vocation and progressive impulse. He also talks about the importance of classical children's literature, and the definition of classical education. 

On this episode of Anchored, Jeremy is joined by Dr. C. Bradley Thomson,  Professor in the Department of Political Science and Executive Director of the Clemson Institute for the Study of Capitalism.  He discusses his views on education reform, stating that he does not believe that Public Schools can be reformed and that they must be abolished completely. Dr. Thompson also states that education is the single most important thing human beings do, yet it is being controlled and corrupted by the government. He claims that similar to the separation between church and state, there must be a separation between school and state. 

On this episode of Anchored, Arooba is joined by Allie Beth Stuckey, host of the podcast Relatable. Allie shares her journey to becoming a podcast host, a published author, and an important voice in the Christian conservative world. She explains the difference between being a Republican and a Christian conservative, citing the main difference as the relevance of scripture in political viewpoints. She also talks about her book You're Not Enough (& That's Okay): Escaping the Toxic Culture of Self-Love and discusses how harmful the ideology of narcissistic self-love is for young women. She also discusses why spirituality has replaced scripture. 

In this Journey Through the Author Bank seminar, we're joined by Sheikh Hamza Yusuf, President of Zaytuna College and one of the most influential Muslim scholars in the world.  He is a proponent of classical learning in Islam and has promoted Islamic sciences and classical teaching methodologies throughout the world. Sheikh Yusuf delves into the life, work, and impact of the medieval Muslim philosopher, Averroes.