Metanoia Magazine Vol. 1 No. 2

metanoia

CONTRIBUTORS

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF & CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Isabel Cumbelich

CONTENT DIRECTOR

Zoë Grimm

ASSISTANT EDITOR

Mark Taylor

DESIGNERS AND ART

Gwyneth Sawicki

Isabel Cumbelich

Joseph Cole

Juliana Heroux

Maghee Fleischer

Margaret Kolesar

EDITORS

Anna Enyeart

Bridget Crnkovich

Catherine McCaughey

Mary deTar

Mary Clare Young

Michaella Ottolini

Zoë Grimm

MARKETING/SOCIAL MEDIA

Elaine Gunthrope

Erin McLaughlin

Isabel Cumbelich

FUNDRAISING

Isabel Cumbelich

Maggie Black

ADVISORY BOARD

Kathleen Sullivan, PhD

Niall O’Donnell

Joseph Brutto, PhD

Daniel McInerny, PhD

Hugh O’Donnell, PhD (candidate)

Ben Reinhard, PhD

MISSION STATEMENT:

Metanoia is a student magazine that showcases the height of Christendom excellence in the areas of journalism, art, and design. It is meant to inspire thoughtful conversation among the student body and the broader Christendom community. Metanoia articles address issues concerning society, our immediate surroundings, and ourselves. Metanoia allows promising students the opportunity to develop their talents so that they can use contemporary media to “Restore All Things in Christ.”

LETTER FROM THE EDITORS

Dear Reader,

Christendom College attracts students with something a little different. Turn one way and you have a student who has a business growing and selling micro-green’s, turn the other way and you have a student who has gone to the World Championships for Irish dance. At Christendom there are so many unique people, many deeply thoughtful people, with unique perspectives on life, on society, and on love.

Christendom College is such a wonderful light in the world, and we, its students, are the product. We hope Metanoia Magazine will be a point of pride for Christendom students, faculty, and staff, and that it embodies the uniqueness of our little world.

We are happy to be publishing another issue and thankful to those who have helped us make this vision possible, especially our generous benefactors, our advisory board, and the many students who have contributed to building the Metanoia brand.

We hope if you have a story to tell, an article to share, a skill or talent that you think could improve Metanoia, you will contact us and contribute! May God bless you all, and welcome to the pages of Metanoia Magazine Volume 1, issue 2.

In Christ, The Editors

Isabel and Zoë

how to make money when you don’t have a job a prayer to saint valentine

STUDENT AMONG US God loves to bring flowers from ashes

FEATURES: POINTS OF VIEW ON DATING a satire: the justin corman guide to dating an op-ed: dating well in a love-lost world

then came facebook: how digital media is changing storytelling pat buchanan: the intellectual grandfather of the “maga” movement

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Ifyou’re looking to clean out some of your old schoolbooks, you can sell them on Yammer. Christendom has a community page on Yammer where you can upload the books that you no longer want, and students here at school can buy them from you. It’s a great way to make some quick cash and help out your fellow Christendom community member!

Plato's Closet

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This side hustle requires a bit of driving, but it’s a really good way to declutter your closet and make some cash while doing it! Bring your old clothes to your nearest Plato’s Closet and they will buy them from you. They are selective, so, if you want to see their guidelines, do a quick Google search and it will tell you all you need to know.

Prolific

HOW TO MAKE MONEY

WHEN YOU DON’T HAVE A JOB

By Leah Dickins

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Prolific is an online platform where you make an account and take surveys to earn some quick cash. A few minutes spent taking surveys can get you a couple bucks. It isn’t the place to go if you need an actual income, but if you want a little spending money and have a few free minutes, take a survey or two. Be mindful, however, that these are scientific surveys, so make sure you give honest answers.

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Scribbler

Scribblr is an online platform that pays you to transcribe online videos. All you have to do is take a quick grammar quiz to make sure that you have the proper knowledge; then you’ll be ready to work. It can be time consuming, but it’ll make you a quick buck, and you can do it from campus.

This is a great way to make some dough, gain experience, network, and benefit the community all at the same time. Everyone on campus has a different talent, whether that be photography, personal shopping, make-up, hair, sewing, carpentry, potty training, or something else. There is someone out there who could use your expertise!

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If you enjoy crafting, creating an Etsy shop is an amazing way to do something that you love and make cash at the same time. You can sell anything from homemade jewelry to paints to embroidery on this site, so get crafting and make some dough!

A Prayer To St. Valentine

O glorious advocate and protector, St. Valentine, Look with pity upon our wants, hear our prayers, relieve by your intercession the miseries under which we labor, and obtain for us the divine blessing, that we may be found worthy to join you in praising the Almighty for all eternity: through the merits of Our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

STUDENT AMONG US: GOD LOVES TO BRING FLOWERS FROM ASHES

She wanted a way out, something that wasn’t the brokenness of her life before college, and she found it here at Christendom. In her senior year of high school, however, her only goal was to get as far away as possible. What kind of experience makes someone leave home without looking back?

She was eleven when it happened. All the warning signs were there—mom was unhappy, dad was rarely home, and when he was, things were even more tense. Eventually, her worst nightmare came true. The divorce was taxing, both emotionally and financially. Within a week, they had to downsize from a house to an apartment. Her mom began having PTSD, and she wasn’t able to find a job. For a while they didn’t even have a car. She began forming unhealthy habits to cope with the trauma. However, she held onto hope. She knew the darkness would not last forever. She had to focus on the good.

by CATHERINE MCCAUGHY ‘23

Among us, there is a Christendom woman who grew up in a broken home. This is her story.

The good was maintaining her faith and attending an all-girls Catholic high school. She paid her own way through school, got as involved as possible, and took every opportunity to serve with her talents. Finally, she made it to Christendom. It was a dream. The longer she was a student, the clearer the contrast became between her present and her past. But of course, old troubles don’t end once you begin something new. The struggles are still a daily reality for her. She still experiences cognitive dissonance, the contrast between her nightmarish past and the present blessing of being at Christendom. It’s also painful for her to

“ She knows that God loves to bring flowers out from ashes, and He does it all the time: ‘Behold, I make all things new’ (Rev 21:5).

see her family members still hurting while she is in a place of healing.

Often, though, the hardest cross for her is the constant battle against the temptation to despair. We’ve all heard the dark statistics of broken homes, as well as the clichés about women who grow up in those homes: those women have too many needs; they will never overcome their brokenness; they will go from man to man and end up married to someone like the father who didn’t love them. Unfortunately, there’s truth to these clichés. Yet she realized early on that she didn’t have to become just another statistic. She knows that God loves to bring flowers out from ashes, and He does it all the time: “Behold, I make all things new” (Rev 21:5). She knows that for anyone tempted to despair, the best cure is service. Serve those more needy than you, give of yourself to the very last drop, and you will find that you are not only blessed but anointed. So, she rooted herself in service, and often reminded herself that some of the most beautiful minds and hearts in human history have come from broken homes— they didn’t let past wounds stop them from finding lasting beauty in their lives.

She knows from experience that even students from “golden homes” ex-

perience heartbreak. We all have struggles. There are some, like her, who come from places of deep suffering— broken homes, personal trauma, and lives of hardship. Unfortunately, it is too easy to pass each other by and think “I don’t need to get to know them,” or “I think they’re okay sitting alone.” Those are the kind of assumptions that she doesn’t want to make about other people or their lives.

She is strongly aware of our human need and responsibility to be known and know people deeply. Without knowing a person better, without asking them about their past and entering into their story with them, we will never know how to love them properly. As Catholics who adore and serve Christ the Man of Sorrows, we are called to be aware of and responsive to the wounds of others. If we, like Him, are called to deeply love others, then nothing human should be foreign to us— especially not our brokenness.

Everyone has a story to tell, and to be vulnerable with others, willing to share a story— and willing to listen to a story— is a great act of love. Even though this student remains anonymous, she is among us.

ON DATING POINTS OF VIEW

the JUSTIN CORMAN GUIDE TO DATING A SATIRE

by JUSTIN CORMAN ‘22

I. Now a lot of people have been asking me for relationship advice, to which I often respond with astonishment that anyone would ever consult me of all people about such a topic. But since it is in such high demand, I will oblige. Here it is: the Justin Corman Guide to Dating at Christendom(™). I will give fair warning: none of these methods have been tested by me, so attempt them at your own risk.

II. For the Guys

First you must realize one very important thing: at Christendom, the women control the relationships. It’s sort of analogous to the way in which while, yes, we have some freedom in the realm of God’s Providence, God is still the one calling the shots at the end of the day, and nothing happens without His say so. Similarly, without the collective body of women approving (imagine the Borg from Star Trek, for you nerdy types), you have no chance.

Now you can approach the woman in one of two ways: 1) you can befriend her or 2) you can randomly approach and ask for a casual date. These are the only socially (and legally) acceptable ways of going about this. As to the first one, this requires Herculean effort.

You must befriend not only the woman of choice, but also all of her friends, and hang out with them frequently. You have to seem sweet and sensitive, yet not too sweet and sensitive, or else you’ll be seen as weak, which immediately reduces the woman’s opinion of you to nothing.

Which brings me to my next point: NEVER let her see you cry. You will instinctively be discarded as a candidate for marria — er, dating. Always put on a facade of emotional maturity and masculinity. Bottle up your emotions, as this is a much greater alternative to the besmirchment of your reputation in front of the ladyfolk. Go to the river to scream late at night. Or, if you have a car, drive to a secluded location to scream and weep in agony, like any true man ought. When you finally feel ready to ask the woman in question out after having built up a close friendship with her, you have maybe a 50/50 shot of success. On the other hand, you can do the random approach, in which case you have maybe a 1/10 chance of success. In any event, this route is much less painful in the event of rejection, due to lack of any sort of emotional attachment. However, the decision is left to the discretion of the reader.

So you’ve done it; you asked her out on a date and she agreed. Where to now? Well, in Front Royal, Virginia, there is a wide variety of lovely places to go for a first date. You know what? Just go to Happy Creek Coffee. If you need conversation topics, she REALLY, REALLY would like to talk about what video games you play, what your favorite Star Wars movie is, about Augustinian predestination, or especially your ex-girlfriend from high school. The last thing they want to talk about is themselves. God forbid you seem interested in her personality or what she has to say.

Alright, so let’s say you have a second date. Time to step up your game. Take her out for dinner or, if you really think she’s the one, take her to Adoration. Your feigned confidence will probably turn into real confidence by this point. From there, I would say the most important thing to do would be to start looking for rings, as you’ve only got till spring. Again, it takes Herculean stupidity or a sudden realization of your commitment issues to awaken you from your dogmatic slumber.

tendom(™) is probably the best argument for Hobbe’s state of nature. Nevertheless, there are several ways a woman can achieve a relationship at Christendom. The method through which almost every girl should find it easiest to initiate contact with a guy is by means of a group of her compatriots. So it is not, in fact, you initiating the contact in this case, but your friends who do it for you. This strength-in-numbers mentality is a practice also employed by men, creating a supergroup of men and women who have the intention of causing two particular members of the opposite sex to meet.

Some minutiae: when you disagree, she is always right; never refuse any request, no matter how unreasonable; do not gaze in the general direction of other women (they are jealous creatures); if you fight, do not talk about it for weeks so that it goes away.

III. For the Gals

Dating at Christendom has its challenges, especially considering the collective stupidity to be found on guys’ side. The savage nature of the Man of Chris-

Ladies, you have two ways you can express interest. You can either 1) play “hard to get,” wherewith you impose and withdraw affections for the man in question or 2) you can be genuine about your affections for him and make it clear that you like him. The latter option can be scary, so feel free to choose option #1. Don’t withdraw too much attention from the man too quickly, as for some reason this seems to indicate to him that you are no longer interested in him. The psychological cause for this male phenomenon is still up for debate.

Now, it seems you’ve caught the eye of an eligible bachelor. Again, you have two options here: you can either 1) shoot the guy down when he asks in order to make him more interested in you or 2) be emotionally honest with the man and say yes right off the bat. Since option #2 is scary, go with option #1. Don’t tell the man that you aren’t interested, but instead just make up a vague excuse in the moment, such as, “Sorry, but I have a lot of homework to do this week-

end,” or, “I would, but my schedule is a little crazy right now ahaha.” If you are too bewildered to come up with an excuse in the moment, a simple phrase such as “Let me get back to you” should suffice. You can come up with your excuse later. This is a great skill that a woman can develop to adapt to pretty much any situation pertaining to dating, as it does not require any emotional or interpersonal honesty whatsoever, the practice of which can be, as I have said already, very scary.

Well, well, well. He finally asked you out on a date for the second time. You’re in. Generally, your instincts will take over from here. You may now talk to this man about anything and everything you please, and if he measures up to your standards you can consider yourself married. But here are some red flags to look out for: he plays video games; he watches Star Wars; he talks about Augustinian predestination; so on and so forth. If the man talks about anything such as these things on a date, especially a first date, it would be in your best interests to say, “It was so fun that I got to go out to Happy Creek Coffee Shop in Front Royal, Virginia, with such a great friend.” Greater emphasis can not possibly be placed on the importance of us ing that six letter word. It will deter a good 75% of men. As for the other 25% you can tell your fellow ladyfolk to explain to him what you meant by this.

IV. For the Couples

“Spend all of your time exclusively with your significant other. ”

make sure that you have good and natural chemistry with the other person. These experts also warn you to look out for red flags before getting too committed to the other person. These experts obviously do not take into account a phenomenon I will call “Christendomian exceptionalism.” This is the idea that, since we are at a good, Catholic college wherein all the students are saints in the making, we don’t have to worry too much about “red flags” or the other minor idiosyncrasies of the other person, as all Christendom students are mature, well-adjusted, and ready for relationships by virtue of their Catholicity.

So what does this mean for your dating life? Spend all of your time exclusively with your significant other. Just hang out in the common areas and make everyone uncomfortable with mildly suggestive PDA. I think that will really help a couple in discerning marriage.

So here you are, two lovebirds just waiting for the most economically viable time to propose. What to do in the meantime, though? Well, many experts say that you should get to know the oth er person really well and

So there you have it: the Justin Corman Guide to Dating at Christendom College (™). I make no claims as to the efficacy of these methods. If you honestly think this is good advice, let me know, so that I can pray for your soul. Now if you will excuse me, I must get back to resolving the matter of Augustinian predestination as well as figuring out how to bring back monastic military orders so I may die honorably

dating well IN A LOVE-LOST WORLD AN OP-ED

by JULIANA HEROUX ‘23

I. Initial Definition of Love

What is romantic love? Love is not the feeling of butterflies in your stomach, but an intellectual free choice of the will to give oneself to another entirely. Love requires sacrifice, vulnerability, and self-knowledge. To be loved is to be fully accepted for all that you are—for all of your flaws and imperfections. That sounds wonderful, doesn’t it? I would argue that to be truly accepted and loved in spite of personal flaws is one of the most primitive and integral desires of man , which stems from our inherent desire for communion with God.

II. Love Versus Attention & How to Tell the Difference

People searching for true acceptance often look for it in the wrong places. Many people settle for short-lived affirmation, mistaking attention for love. This mistake only leads further from what they truly seek. Simply because someone is paying attention to you does not mean they desire your heart. Unless that charmer is ready to commit to a self-sacrificial relationship, he or she does not deserve you. Attention, of course, is necessary for a relationship. However, when someone gives you attention only for attention in return is when the problems arise. Signs that points toward this kind of relationship are prolonged going on dates period, lack of movement toward becoming official, and physicality without commitment. Physicality is necessary for a proper relationship but should only occur after true affection and commitment have been displayed by explicitly officiating the relationship. If true affection and commitment are missing, these actions are misplaced and deceitful.

III. The Danger of Improper Relationships & How to Heal from Them

Improper relationships ultimately fail, and deeply wound us. The most severe fear of commitment stems from feelings of guilt, shame, or rejection associated with past relationships. These incomplete relationships deeply damage our sense of self which, particularly at our age, is highly guarded and still being formed. However, do not be afraid of getting into a relationship because you fear rejection. If you have been burned by a past relationship, my advice would be to take a step back from the dating scene and focus on yourself. Start over, surround yourself with new people, have fun, do something new; take your mind off romance and let yourself heal.

IV. Dating Should Be Stress-Free

The Catholic culture places a huge emphasis on dating for marriage which often causes pressure to find a spouse as soon as possible. This leads to the following problematic situations: a girl terrified of accepting an invitation to a date for fear that the guy will understand it as a long-term commitment and, conversely, a guy terrified of asking a girl out because she might not be the right woman. Yes, the purpose of being in a dating relationship is to discern marriage. However, the purpose of going on dates is to decide whether you’d want to even date (or begin to discern marriage with) this person in the first place. With this mindset, neither party should be hurt if the interaction goes no further than one or two dates. This way, going on dates is stress-free, as it should be! Accept dates as a courtesy to the man for being vulnerable and asking you and be upfront about having or not having a second date. It should be as simple as that.

V. We’re Official! Now What? The Importance of Communication

After you have established an official relationship, begin to get to know your significant other so that you can learn to love and accept them. If love means to fully accept another for all they are, then you must strive to know everything about them. Humans are complex so, of course, getting to know one well is a long process. One that, if they are the right person, you will enjoy every bit of. This means lots and lots of conversations! You must learn how to talk to your significant other, especially about difficult topics such as problems within the relationship. Talking about issues you have, or how certain things affect you, allows your significant other to get to know you better and gives them an opportunity to practice changing their actions, even if just a little bit, for you. This change is a form of self-sacrifice, which is vital to every romantic relationship.

“You must learn how to talk to your significant other, especially about difficult topics such as problems within the relationship.”

VI. The Importance of Mutual Vulnerability

On the other hand, relationships are reciprocal. This means you will not only get to know another person, but you will need to let them get to know you. To pursue true romantic love, you need to look within yourself, face the barriers around your heart established by past experiences (such as messy relationships, rejection, family issues, mental health issues, etc.), and conquer those walls. If you have past experiences that affect you significantly, you must be able to share them with your boyfriend or girlfriend. These conversations should take place later in the relationship (perhaps two to three months in) for you need to be very comfortable with your significant other in order to pursue these difficult conversations. If you are not comfortable sharing that information with your boyfriend or girlfriend, either they are not the right person for you or you need more time to develop the relationship.

VII. Self-Improvement

Another large part of a romantic relationship is self-improvement. Being in a relationship pushes you to improve in ways you wouldn’t have without another. Personally, being in a relationship allowed me to see that I needed to change and heal. Being better for another per son is one of the strongest motivations to improve. By self-improvement I do not mean changing fundamental person al characteristics, but rather bad habits created by past experiences. Tendencies such as negative thoughts, anxiety, and anger are a few examples of this. These are typical of humans to have, but you must fight these tendencies, and also make your boyfriend or girlfriend aware that you struggle with these things. Traits like these tend to modify your behavior in such a way that people unaware of your struggle will misunderstand; so, it is very important that you share your behavioral tendencies with your significant other so that he or she can help you on your jour ney toward healing.

VIII. Conclusion

Love is a choice that requires sacrifices and dating is the pursuit of this. Love requires self-knowledge and self-gift, so it requires courage to pursue. When pursuing love through dating, it is important to see the relationship for what it actually is. If it is still early on, don’t take it too seriously. Striving to improve yourself is one of the best ways to begin and strengthen a true romantic relationship. Communicating and opening up about yourself are difficult but vital to a healthy relationship. These are my ramblings about dating. I hope this article has been interesting for you and will help you on your journey, at whatever stage, to love.

“By self-improvement I do not mean changing fundamental personal characteristics, but rather bad habits created by past experiences.”

I E S

OThenCameFacebook: How Digital Media Is Changing Storytelling

by MARY CLARE YOUNG ‘22

NCE UPON A TIME, men and women talked to each other.

Actually, let me rephrase that. Words have been a core element of our humanity since the sixth day of creation. Words allow us to express what we think, feel, desire, and believe. With words, we share the myths and the memories that make us who we are. From the hearths of ancient Greece to our childhood bedrooms, men and women for all time have told stories about the world and themselves. Whether through speech or writing, stories reveal the reality of the world and the identity of the human person. Because stories are a common means of interacting with one another, they connect us and unite us—especially through the Word Himself.

Then came Facebook.

Today, we find ourselves in a very different world of communication and connection. Up until just a few decades ago, men and women interacted mainly in person or through letters. Now, however, we can interact through texting, group chats, YouTube, Instagram Stories, TikTok, and whatever other form of social media. These new avenues of communication have created new means of sharing and interacting

with each other. Since stories are a natural part of human interaction, how has social media affected our storytelling? Has digital communication made us better storytellers, or is the craft in danger of dying? These questions may not seem significant, but the answers may reveal serious ramifications on how we live in community and forge intimate and authentic relationships with others.

First, we need to discuss what lies at the heart of every good story. Whether the Odyssey, a classic Grimm fairy tale, or one of Grandma’s tales of the ‘50s, the best stories reveal some aspect of reality in general or a truth about ourselves in particular. Many will do both. In serving as portals and vessels of truth, these stories help us to understand ourselves and our place in the world, leaving us better able to pursue the good life and, hence, be more human. Just as important is the manner of storytelling, the personal dynamic. We re member a story for more than words; we remem ber the way it is told, the tone, the dramatic gestures, the weighted

pauses. We remember the sparkle of joy or the shining of tears in the narrator’s eyes. In short, the storyteller, physically present with us, adds a whole new level of meaning to the story. One exemplar of storytelling lies in the ep-

both acknowledge the broken and imperfect parts of their pasts. How er, they also learn through their stories that they are ancestral guest-friends, a relationship which they seal immediately, growing in their

“What if Glaucon had shared his story on Instagram? The story wouldn’t be the same—in fact, it wouldn’t be told well at all.”

isode of Diomedes and Glaucon in Book 6 of the Iliad. When these warriors from opposite sides meet in battle, Diomedes asks Glaucon to tell the story of his lineage to know who this warrior is. Glaucon’s story prompts Diomedes to tell his own story of how their ancestors were guest-friends. For this discussion, what matters is not the stories’ minutiae, but the manner and effects of their storytelling. Crucial to Glaucon and Diomedes’ storytelling was their willingness to be vulnerable and honest about themselves to each other. Both share painful truths of their identities—Glaucon’s ancestor, Bellepheron, was a disgraced hero, and Diomedes shares that, while still a child, his own father died in defeat on the battlefield. With honesty and vulnerability,

human capacity through fellowship with their fellow man. This episode teaches us why we cannot lose storytelling: it helps us to know the person for who they truly are, with all their sparkles and dents, which opens the door for deepening fruitful and authentic relationships with others.

What if Glaucon had shared his story on Instagram? The story wouldn’t be the same—in fact, it wouldn’t be told well at all.

Social media encourages us to show only those things about ourselves that we wish to share—only the highlights, the good-hair days, graduation pictures with our diploma, videos of smiling and laughing families. Or there are those on the opposite extreme, who share every minute detail of their day, fabricating for

themselves a false sense of intimacy with an impersonal audience. Whatever story of ourselves we share is a highly edited version of our life, lacking any intimacy. As Susan Tardanico explains, “Awash in technology, anyone can hide behind the text, the e-mail, the Facebook post or the tweet, projecting any image they want and creating an illusion of their choosing. They can be whoever they want to be.”1 It is impossible to know the real person behind the Instagram feed, unless you know them well in real life. In short, social media robs storytelling of the authenticity so essential to its success.

This relates to the other issue with storytelling and social media: the loss of physical interaction. We all have experienced how easily text leads to miscommunication. This is because body language tells a shocking 93% of our messages.2 Posts share little of the gestures and tones so crucial to storytelling. Even Zoom is inadequate, because, as we all learned during the Covid semester, “Zoom Fatigue”3 is real, and nothing can replace being in the same physical space as the other. However, our modern world is fast forgetting this truth, and, if we forget it, we risk forgetting the fullness of storytelling, and thus forgetting how to share our thoughts and feelings and form authentic relationships. This reflection barely begins to investigate the relation between media and how we share stories. However, this should mark the beginning of serious discussion with ourselves and others about our use of social media and how and what we communicate with. Is good storytelling built on the kind of dishonesty about ourselves social media encourages? Digital communication may be pushing our storytell-

ing a certain way, but it is possible to push back. Some people do try to share themselves more truthfully on social media, as evidenced by recent trends such as the #NoMakeup movement.4 In the meantime, though, the best solution might just be to hang out on Instagram less and hang out in the real world more. At the very least, it’s a start.

Maybe, just maybe, we’ll relearn how to talk authentically with each other.

1. Susan Tardanico, “Is Social Media Sabotaging Real Communication?” Forbes, April 13, 2012, https://www.forbes.com/sites/susantardanico/2012/04/30/is-social-media-sabotaging-real-communication/?sh=4893cef32b62.

2. Ibid.

3. VixStaff, “ #NoMakeup: The Instagram Trend Driven By Alicia Keys That Inspires Us To Be Authentic,” April 12, 2018, https://www.vix.com/en/style/530348/nomakeup-instagram-trend-driven-alicia-keys-inspires-us-be-authentic.

“He only is my rock and my salvation”

PSALM 62: 2

PAT BUCHANAN the intellectual grandfather of the “MAGA” movement

by AIDAN MOORHOUSE ‘24

Donald Trump is not a politician who can easily be categorized. He descended the escalator in July 2015, took down over a dozen far more experienced Republican presidential nominees, and then defeated Hillary Clinton to become the 45th president of the United States. Trump accomplished all this despite many of his positions being at odds with the leaders of the Republican Party. However, the foundations of this political movement Trump started were laid back in 1992, when a journalist, former White House advisor, and staunch Catholic traditionalist launched a seemingly quixotic campaign for the Republican nomination against President George H.W. Bush. That man’s name was Pat Buchanan. Buchanan started out his career in national politics as a speechwriter for Richard Nixon in 1966 and went on to become a special consultant in the Nixon White House. After the Watergate scandal and Nixon’s resignation, Buchanan became and continues to be a syndicated columnist and joined the panel of the tele-

vision program The McLaughlin Group, on which he appears to this day. He also served as Ronald Reagan’s Director of Communications from 1985-87.1 After George H.W. Bush was elected in 1988, Buchanan took a brief hiatus from national politics. But circumstances would cause him to reenter the arena soon enough.

After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, the bond that held the conservative movement together began to loosen. Without a clearly defined adversary to confront, the question of America’s role in the world loomed large. Conservatives began to fracture into two main camps, which are typically labeled neoconservatives and paleoconservatives. Neoconservatives—such as Irving Kristol, Charles Krauthammer, and Paul Wolfowitz—advocated for free trade and an interventionist foreign policy designed to ensure no serious rival to American hegemony ever rose again.2 On the other hand, paleoconservatives—such as Pat Buchanan and Paul Gottfried—advocated for

–

“True societal progress was not to be found in the welfare programs of the Great Society, but in a return to America’s Christian cultural roots.”

stronger protection of American industries (primarily through tariffs) and non-interventionism.3 Both camps were displeased with the Bush administration: the neocons were irked that Bush decided to keep Saddam Hussein in power after the Gulf War (January-February 1991); paleocons were more worried about Bush breaking his campaign promise to not raise taxes and his lackadaisical response to an economic re-

cession.4 In Concord, New Hampshire, which was hit especially hard by the recession, on December 10th, 1991, Buchanan announced his campaign for the presidency.

In his announcement speech, Buchanan outlined his vision of the challenges facing America and the world. After the Cold War, nationalism was the rising force. The United States

Left to right: Bill Clinton, George H.W. Bush, Pat Buchanan, and Donald Trump

ARTWORK BY JOSEPH COLE ‘23 –

should reexamine its overseas commitments, and eliminate any needless expenditure of money or soldiers. Other countries’ trade practices (Buchanan singles out Japan) had taken advantage of the US and harmed American workers. True societal progress was not to be found in the welfare programs of the Great Society, but in a return to America’s Christian cultural roots. Although Bush was a good man, he had misread the signs of the times: “He [Bush] is yesterday and we are tomorrow. He is a globalist and we are nationalists. He believes in some Pax Universalis; we believe in the Old Republic. He would put American’s wealth and power at the service of some vague New World Order; we will put America first.”5

Although the American media was far less partisan than it is today, that didn’t stop most major news outlets from throwing everything and the kitchen sink at Buchanan. He was a racist, an anti-Semite, an elitist posing as a populist, and on the wrong side of history.6 If you supported Buchanan, that meant you were a racist. Stop me if this sounds familiar. Despite a strong showing in New Hampshire and winning roughly 23% of the popular vote across all states, Buchanan failed to win any of the primaries. However, he was invited to address the RNC as a display of party unity and an olive branch to his loyal “Buchanan Brigades.” Buchanan obliged, and his “Culture War” speech is one of the most forceful

declarations of both the political and cultural stakes of modern American elections.7

That didn’t stop most major news outlets from throwing everything and the kitchen sink at Buchanan. He was a racist, an anti-Semite, an elitist posing as a populist, and on the wrong side of history.

George H.W. Bush was defeated by Bill Clinton. NAFTA came into effect in 1994. After 9/11, the neoconservatives had their day in the sun to “make the world safe for democracy.” Middle Eastern conflicts became an endless sinkhole of blood and treasure. Instead of Japan, China rose to prominence, and more and more American manufacturing jobs went overseas. The Rust Belt’s oxidation accelerated. Most major battles of the Culture War were routs. Through it all, Buchanan kept writing and commentating. Few paid him much heed, that is, until Donald Trump ran on an unapologetically “America First” platform and became the Republican nominee. Suddenly, the nation’s elite found themselves facing someone promising to appoint pro-life judges, getting tough on trade and immigration, and ending needless foreign wars (or at least not starting any new ones), leading a movement which, in substance if not in style, eerily resembled the “Buchanan Brigades” which they had brushed aside over twenty years ago.

1. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Patrick-J-Buchanan

2. https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Neoconservatism

3. https://www.jstor.org/stable/42894664?seq=5#metadata_info_tab_contents

4. https://www.britannica.com/biography/George-H-W-Bush/Presidency

5. http://www.4president.org/speeches/buchanan1992announcement.htm

6. https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1992/02/17/the-iron-fist-ofpat-buchanan/832ad9b5-783d-425c-a792-b5fc5bc8e70a/

7. https://voicesofdemocracy.umd.edu/buchanan-culture-war-speech-speech-text/

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