Anchored by the Classic Learning Test

On this episode of Anchored, Jeremy is joined by Noah Tyler, CLT’s Chief Financial Officer. Noah discusses his experience being homeschooled at a young age, and how it set him apart from his peers. He explains the process of choosing a university that aligns with your values, especially if you were once homeschooled. Noah also discusses his career as a test-prep tutor, his love for teaching, and what compelled him to join CLT. Jeremy and Noah reminisce on some of CLT’s earliest memories -- from test-preparation to pitching to colleges like Hillsdale. They also discuss how they came up with CLT’s core values: Passionate, Anchored, Accurate.

On this episode of Anchored, Jeremy and Arooba are joined by Dave Rubin, a political commentator and Youtube Personality.  They discuss free speech on university campuses, politically charged curricula, and what society can learn from events that have occurred throughout history. Dave also explains how the labels around political identities have changed, and the difference between an old-school liberal vs a progressive. They discuss public schooling, and the different options available to parents who would like to take back control of what their children are learning. 

On this episode of Anchored, Jeremy is joined by three guests from Benedictine College – Dr. Kim Shankman, Dr. Eddie Mulholland, and Dr. Denis McNamara. They discuss the role Catholic faith has played in creating some of the world’s best architecture. They also have profound conversations surrounding education and modernity, such as maintaining tradition without repeating other’s work, the importance of a true liberal arts education, and the shift of architecture from beauty to brutalism. Our guests explain the consciousness required to keep Benedictine College true to its mission of providing students with an environment where faith finds them. 

On this episode of Anchored, Jeremy is joined by Jeff Sikkenga, Executive Director of the Ashbrook Program and Professor of Political Science at Ashland University. As a professor of undergraduate and graduate courses in political thought and American history, Professor Sikkenga discusses how the decline in history majors has affected society. He explains that historical perspective aids us in understanding and facing current issues, and that all great American leaders were profound students of history. He shares that the importance of history is to have a conversation with the past, and that without this conversation, we forget the “why” of America. Professor Sikkenga also highlights the consequences of misinterpreting the Constitution in relation to current events. Host: Jeremy Tate Guest: Jeff Sikkenga

On this episode of Anchored, Jeremy is joined by Dr. Karen Swallow Prior, a Research Professor of English and Christianity and Culture at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. Dr. Prior discusses her love for 18th century British literature, the earliest beginnings of fiction, and the role fiction played in the 18th century. She highlights the difference between novel writing and literary fiction, explaining that literary fiction recreates an experience through words, and offers an understanding of our own lives. Dr. Prior also discusses how the decline in novel writing can be attributed to the disbelief in originality and individualism.Guest: Karen Swallow Prior 

On this episode of Anchored, Jeremy and Arooba are joined by Dr. Michael Naughton, director of the Center for Catholic Studies at the University of St. Thomas. Dr. Naughton discusses his expertise in Catholic Social Thought in relation to work, business, and organizational life. He explains how reading John Paul II’s letter on human work helped him understand the theology of work in all areas of life, and bridge the gap between Catholicism and Business. He discusses that universities have become too focused on their external good rather than their internal good and how Catholic Studies can reform the nature of universities. He highlights that although it is important for students to find worthwhile careers, they must also grow intellectually through their love for education in order to understand the inherent goodness of those careers. Guest: Dr. Michael Naughton

On this episode of Anchored, Jeremy and Arooba are joined by President Dub Oliver, the 16th President of Union University. President Oliver talks about Union and the unique education it provides its students. He explains that College years are the most formative years of a young adult's life and the importance of structuring that growth around faith and virtue. He also discusses why many students walk away from their faith during their college years, and he shares advice for students who are attending college in an era that is increasingly hostile to faith. Guest: President Oliver

On this episode of Anchored, Jeremy and Arooba are joined by Ryan Kelly Clark. Ryan is the founder of Scholarship Navigator, a company dedicated to teaching students and families how to strategically find, apply for, and win college scholarships. Ryan discusses why she founded Scholarship Navigator, how applying for scholarships gave her the financial stability to attend college, and how it ultimately helped her graduate debt-free. She discusses how difficult it has become for students to go to college with rising tuition fees and how student loans can hinder a student’s ability to enjoy his or her learning experience. Ryan also shares tips for homeschool students to help them find a college that aligns with their values, start applying early for scholarships, and graduate debt-free. Guest: Ryan Kelly Clark

On the latest episode of Anchored, Jeremy and Arooba are joined by Dr. Joseph Wysocki, Dean of the Honors College at Belmont Abbey College. Dr. Wysocki discusses how taking a class on Plato’s Republic ignited his love for politics, and how it reopened questions that he thought were already answered. He explains that modern education has moved to promote activism because activism suggests that you already have answers to all the questions. Dr. Wysocki also discusses the Schola program, a summer program for high school students at the Honors College. He speaks on the connection between beautiful architecture and learning, and how our surroundings help to elevate us to God. Finally, he discusses that the purpose of a liberal education is to learn how to reason well. 

In this new series of Anchored, Jeremy and Arooba sit down with Rachel Greb, the Director of Secondary Partnerships at CLT. Rachel discusses her early education in classical and Christian studies and how it influenced the rest of her education as well as her career. Rachel gives insight into what "classical" means to her and why classical education is the best way to educate children. Rachel also discusses the journey of starting her own school, Oakdale Academy, and how difficult it is for young private schools to establish legitimacy. She advises students pursuing higher education to view their education as their own responsibility, striving to learn as much as possible about the world around them.