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Last Wednesday evening, April 22, New York Times opinion columnist and podcaster Ross Douthat visited the College as part of In the News. The program is run by the Goldfarb Center for Public Affairs and occurs each week in Page Commons. In the News events are dedicated to encouraging dialogue among Colby College students and visiting speakers who are somehow involved in politics and journalism. 

After graduating magna cum laude from Harvard University, where he contributed to The Harvard Crimson and edited The Harvard Salient, Douthat began his professional career at The Atlantic as a researcher and worked his way up to senior editor. During his time at The Atlantic, he established himself as a fresh, intellectually rigorous, principles-based conservative voice. 

In 2009, Douthat was recruited by the New York Times, becoming the newspaper’s youngest-ever op-ed columnist at the age of 29. He has also written seven books and currently hosts the Times Opinion podcast Interesting Times. His work blends political commentary, cultural criticism, religious faith, and autobiographical reflection, and it has been widely engaged with across the political spectrum, but he is generally recognized as a proponent of and spokesman for conservative thought.

The event was advertised with posters that read “Go to Church, Start a Family, Put Down Your Phone.” Though the Goldfarb Center makes an effort to bring speakers with a variety of perspectives and political views to the College, Douthat is certainly one of the most outspokenly conservative people that In the News has hosted this semester. Many of his principles are based in his Catholic faith and his belief in the traditional family structure. He has written in opposition to gay marriage and classifies abortion as murder. 

However, the conversation on Wednesday steered clear of those topics. In fact, Douthat was at first defensively noncommittal about even identifying himself as a conservative. Professor Joseph Reisert, chair of the Government department and one of the conversation’s moderators, asked the first question of the evening: “Give us a bigger picture of your ideas—what makes you a conservative rather than a liberal?” 

Douthat’s answer was long, ambiguous, and not exactly defined by what he actually believes:

“Everybody thinks you need something from the past, right? There’s no… incredibly bright place to draw the line, but generally I tend to be identified with conservatism and the political right because of my identification with ideas, impulses, and issues that people often do see as sort of belonging more to the past… My identification as a conservative is strongest when I say to myself, ‘Am I a social and cultural liberal? No. Am I an Obama style technocrat? No.’ Right? ‘What do I identify more with, the Cathedral of Notre Dame in France, or a Frank Gehry building? The Cathedral of Notre Dame.’ Right?… ‘How many children do I have? I have five children.’ I’m probably conservative in some way.”

He seemed to be very aware that this answer was not a satisfying one, though, and later said that he “sort of avoided answering [the question].” In a discussion about maintaining optimism about the future in our current context of AI acceleration, an ever-worsening climate crisis, and Trumpism, Douthat further explained the nuance of his position. 

 “The conservative is supposed to be in the position of saying, you know, ‘Well, the future is going to be terrible unless we hold on to these things from the past,’ and I think I’m more in the position of saying ‘The future is open.’ There are a bunch of things in the past that are conservative—religion, family, marriage, community—that we can reach back to and draw on and reinvent… But this is not a matter of inherited custom… you have to do all those things with a kind of intentionality. It’s an active sort of choice and construction and reinvention that’s very different from just a kind of small-‘c’ conservative, ‘We’re just sort of maintaining an existing tradition.’ ”

According to Finnely Combs `29, Douthat’s indirectness was surprising. “I was expecting someone to come in sort of bullheaded… I’m more familiar with a preacher-y style statement of beliefs. I don’t really think he approached it that way,” they said. “Trying to pitch the least hostile aspects of conservative belief hardest, I think that was a tactic… I do think that he could sway someone who’s not very deeply rooted in their own beliefs.”

However, they did not find his style of argument convincing. “I thought he was well spoken, but not direct. I don’t think he took a clear stance on most of the questions that were asked of him and instead chose to circumvent them… His refusal to directly address and explain his beliefs to an audience of open-minded individuals who would intentionally place themselves in an arena of debate and thought, his refusal to respect the space in that way, by giving his entire true opinion, is cowardly and made me respect him less,” Combs said.

A 2020 article in Dissent Magazine stated that Douthat is “known for translating these internecine conservative debates into terms that liberal New York Times readers can understand.” He himself has said that part of his job at the Times is “to make religious belief intelligible to irreligious readers.” His demeanor during the conversation on Wednesday night may have been part of this “incomplete evangelization” effort. 

Readers who wish to learn more about Douthat may find his New York Times column or podcast interesting. Students or community members who would like to spend time engaging in political discussion with knowledgeable professionals should consider attending a session of In the News.

 

 

~ Anna Izquierdo `29

The April 25 shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner has raised new concerns about political violence, event security, and even the vulnerability of democratic institutions as federal authorities continue to release new details about the incident.

President Donald Trump was evacuated from the Washington Hilton after a gunman attempted to breach a security checkpoint near the dinner venue, where journalists, administration officials, and political figures had gathered for the annual event. A federal officer was wounded and has since been released from the hospital. The suspect, identified by authorities as 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen of California, is in custody and has been charged by the Justice Department with an assassination attempt on the president.

Investigators have also recovered writings suggesting the suspect was motivated by political grievances, though officials say the investigation remains ongoing (at the time of writing). Questions have also emerged over security protocols at the event, which did not carry the highest “National Special Security Event” designation, despite the presence of the president, vice president, and senior officials.

What began as breaking news has increasingly become part of a broader national conversation about political instability and public safety—one that has reached college campuses.

At the College, students interviewed this week said the incident raised concerns not only about violence in American politics, but about how young people process such events as a whole.

Several students said one of their first reactions centered on how the attack happened at all.

One student, who requested anonymity, said the incident raised questions about motive and security, adding that the unusual nature of the attack stood out as much as the threat itself: “My first reaction was [wondering] what the motivation was and how that person got into the venue… I was wondering who it was targeted toward.”

Others described the incident as part of a broader pattern of instability that has shaped their political consciousness, though not always in expected ways.

Audrey Schedler `28 said repeated exposure to national crises has made some students feel less shocked than they might have in the past.

“To be honest, I feel like many current events in the news recently have been extreme, to the point where I feel pretty desensitized,” Schedler said. “Incidents like this do come up in my conversations at Colby, but at this point, they almost just serve as another conversation starter.”

Her response echoed broader questions some students raised about whether repeated political threats are at risk of becoming normalized.

The anonymous student said the incident felt both distant and personal. “It wasn’t something being discussed in class,” the student said. “It came up more as, ‘Did you hear this happened?’ through word of mouth. But at the same time, we’re all living in the same society, and violence like this affects everyone’s sense of safety.”

Some students said the incident prompted reflection about polarization and whether violence has become too intertwined with political conflict. “Politics should not justify violence,” the student added. “Violence is not the solution.”

Schedler suggested incidents of political violence can prompt students to pay closer attention. “I think people are more likely to look up other national news stories whenever something like this happens,” she said.

The anonymous student expressed a similar sentiment, saying the event made them want to be “more proactive and more aware of what’s going on.”

While reactions varied, many students shared a sense that the incident was not just another headline. Instead, it is shaping how our generation understands politics and public life.

As authorities continue investigating the attack and reviewing security failures surrounding the dinner, students at the College say the incident has already left a mark through the conversations it has sparked on campus.

 

 

~ Mia Dinunzio `28

“Starting a business is a series of bold bets and constant iterations,” Todd Halloran `84 told a capacity crowd at the Performance Hall of the Gordon Center last week. Halloran, a trustee emeritus and senior advisor at Freeman Spogli, opened the annual Halloran Lab Pitch Competition by praising the persistence of student innovators. Eight finalist teams competed for a share of $25,000 in seed funding after months of mentorship and product development. While the pool of applicants included ventures in artificial intelligence and social networking, the top honors went to student entrepreneurs focusing on personalized consumer goods and sustainable manufacturing.

Talina Hoang `27 and team won the first place prize of $15,000 for her startup, Tali’s Nailz. Hoang identified a significant gap in the global press-on nail market, noting that standard products often fail to fit the diverse nail shapes of many customers. Her business offers customized, reusable sets designed to maintain retention for two weeks. Hoang detailed a business model with a 37 percent profit margin and outlined a plan to scale production by onboarding professional artisans.

The second place prize of $7,500 was awarded to Beck & Company. The venture focuses on high quality apparel produced through sustainable materials and local manufacturing processes. The founder, Anna Reynolds `26, emphasized that their brand addresses a growing consumer demand for transparency in the fashion industry. By maintaining a close relationship with regional suppliers, the company aims to ensure ethical production standards while reducing the environmental footprint of its logistics chain. The funding will allow the team to expand initial inventory and reach a broader customer base beyond the local community.

The final award of the evening, the Audience Choice Award, granted $2,500 to StyleSync. This prize was determined by a live vote from the attendees in the Performance Hall, reflecting the immediate market appeal of the venture. While they did not secure the top two placement prizes, other finalists included Cozy, an AI website builder; Figrex, a figure creation tool; and My Crew, a social event application. These teams demonstrated the diverse range of entrepreneurial interests currently emerging from the Halloran Lab.

Responding to a judge’s question about how she plans to maintain the quality of handcrafted nails while increasing production volume, Hoang `27 replied that her growth strategy involves a rigorous certification process for the artisans she hires. She explained that by creating a network of skilled designers, she can preserve the bespoke nature of the product while meeting higher demand. Hoang `27 noted that the customization aspect is the core value of her brand and cannot be sacrificed for the sake of rapid expansion.

When asked about the competitive landscape of sustainable fashion, Reynolds `26, the founder of Beck & Company addressed the challenge of pricing. She acknowledged that local manufacturing often results in higher costs compared to mass-produced alternatives. However, she argued that their target demographic values durability and ethical concerns over low prices. Reynolds `27 stated that their customers view their purchases as long-term investments in both their wardrobe and the environment. She maintained that their focus on localized production provides a level of quality control that larger competitors cannot replicate.

Lisa Noble, the interim director of the Halloran Lab for Entrepreneurship, concluded the ceremony by pointing out the growth of the entrepreneurial ecosystem at the College. She noted that the competition serves as a connection between classroom theory and the practical realities of launching a business.

“Everyone put it all out there tonight,” she said while addressing the finalists. The night ended with a reception where winners and participants discussed their ventures with local investors and faculty members.

 

 

~ Stephen Owusu Badu `27