Each week brings with it a host of surprising events and opportunities, as well as many mundane and tedious—yet highly necessary—tasks. As practically the only one working in the recruitment department this week (between supervisors being sick and attending business trips), I was the one solely in charge of managing the daily tasks in addition to completing special projects. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday were consumed primarily with in depth administrative work, while Tuesday was spent documenting LI’s Public Speaking Workshop and Thursday on various portions of Capitol Hill. The constant variety of activities is very conducive to learning flexibility, while maintaining a strict timeline and meeting deadlines. The highlight of this week can readily be traced to a dinner talk given by Tim Goeglein, chief liaison at Focus on the Family and former Bush Administration staffer. He penetrated the heart of the issues in America and offered hope to a thirsty generation of young conservatives.
Monday began with the usual updating of conservative organizations—including 990s, contact information, administration, and LI’s contacts within various organizations. However, as the day progressed, I became responsible for a project of higher importance. Morton Blackwell, President of the Leadership Institute, was scheduled to speak at an American’s for Prosperity (AFP) conference on a given topic, while highlighting the former LI employees and students that currently work for AFP. In order to do so, Morton needed a comprehensive list of all AFP’s employee connections with LI and a list of trainings completed by each individual. This task fell to myself. Working with a highly unorganized and often faulty database led to a time consuming examination of many individual’s backgrounds; however, in the end correct information was supplied to Morton and subsequently AFP. As my last major administrative task, I reviewed feedback from previous LI schools and entered notable quotations in the “LID”, our database. This involved highlighting potential notable graduates—people who would be interesting to feature in our newsroom in years to come. Later in the week, I contacted two recent LI graduates and requested additional information on their experience with LI, accomplishments, and future goals that could be stressed in a potential newsroom story.
On Tuesday, I attended LI’s Public Speaking Workshop. At the time, I had not been informed that I would be drafting an article on the school; however, I fortuitously took down significant remarks made by the speakers and obtained feedback from several students.
Public Speaking Workshop—Tools for Both the Amateur and the Veteran Presenter
June 14, 2011, Arlington, VA— Conveying a message is more than the simple articulation of ideas; it involves stylistic and intentional verbiage, appropriate hand gestures and body movements, and a correct understanding of the audience. This past week, students learned how to relay an effective message through persuasive delivery at LI’s Public Speaking Workshop.President of Roncalli Communications, Dr. John Shosky, discussed the importance of crafting goals for a speech based on the message and audience. “I know that I benefited greatly from Dr. Shoskey’s discussion on the substance of a good speech,” remarked student Andrew Patterson.
Ian Ivey, Program Expert for GSA, taught four roles imperative to becoming an excellent presenter. “You must be an expert, an owner, a performer, and a teacher through preparation and practice.”
Accompanied by energetic gestures and exclamations, Ivey shared various tips for effective communication. “Know 10 times what you’ll tell them; write good transitions that effectively relate things to one another; when your mouth is moving, you’re looking at someone’s eyes; intent is not result.”
“Both speakers were unique and had different deliveries, but were equally effective and very influential,” remarked Caitlin Byrd, assistant policy analyst at the National Tax Payers Union Foundation.
Student Andrew Patterson summed up his experience at the workshop. “The Leadership Institute’s Public Speaking Workshop provides public speaking tools that can be used by both the amateur and veteran presenter.”
The intern program includes hosting a “speaker night” each week. A prominent individual is invited to speak at the Sacher Intern House where he or she is introduced by a chosen intern. On Tuesday, Tim Goeglein arrived for dinner, where his presence had long been anticipated. Mr. Goeglein tapped his dinner knife gently on a tall glass of water—in a matter of seconds, the small living room was entirely silent and every eye was directed towards the head of the table. “What does it mean to be a conservative?” Tim inquisitively remarked. This is a common topic amid the plethora of talks given in DC; however, Tim’s approach to it was astonishingly uncommon. Situated on a bookshelf behind Mr. Goeglein was a bust of Robert E. Lee, to which he eagerly referenced as a leading conservative during the civil war. In the next breath, he just as adamantly claimed that Ulysses S. Grant was likewise a strong conservative. They were both extraordinarily principled, and principle forms the heart of a conservative.
Culture is preeminent—government is not. As it alludes, the term culture derives from the “cult”; the religion; the beliefs of the people. How do you change the culture? You change the values: the principles of the people. Tim stressed that reform starts with families and ultimately with fatherhood. Conservatives aspire to “be the next (insert acclaimed individual)”. Liberals aspire to be original, unique, and revolutionary. Conservatives are the ones who value hard work, small towns, calm lives, and family values. Liberals are the innovators, while conservatives are the loyal followers. There was a time when conservatives lost desire to hold onto the culture—they gave it up. In doing so, they lost claim on the prevalence of Judeo-Christian values; they lost the culture. The solution to our country’s problems is not government or policy—it is through Christian principles facilitated into the society. When asked for the steps that should be taken in reforming America, Tim simply remarked, “a return to Judeo-Christian morality—that is the only solution.”
As the evening came to a close, Tim unwaveringly stated that the future of America rests on the upcoming generation—my generation. He observed that there is a constant awareness of the moral decline in American among young people. Often, motivational, inspiring talks are given—however, rarely are practical steps that can be reasonably achieved outlined. Tim gave these steps: live out Christian morals, be a committed parent and friend, practice integrity, and do not feed the culture of moral decline. It starts with me. I am not required to promulgate a massive campus reform to affectively change the culture; I am only required to live consistently to my Christian convictions and carefully examine the movies I watch, the places I go, the words I speak, and the attitude I continually convey. Tim’s exhortation is not only a viable opinion—it is the only option, the only solution in transforming the culture. In the end, Mr. Goeglein was incredibly hopeful in a future generation of restoration—so were the interns. Since Tuesday’s talk, there have been countless conversations involving the application of principles in action. The best contribution I will make to my country is not feeding the cultural vacuum of moral degradation. Tim Goeglein was both informative and inspirational—truly one of the best speakers I have ever witnessed.
The enthusiastic attitude of the interns following the talk carried over into Thursday’s Capitol Hill visit. In the morning, we met with Congressman Jim Jordan of Ohio. Disappointingly, the visit was very brief, but Congressman Jordan did share some valuable advice. Jordan was a young wrestling coach when he became disturbed by the increasingly anti-conservative nature of our country. Motivated by a concern for family values and decreased spending, Jordan decided to run as a state representative. He was told to “pack up and go home”; that provoked and encouraged him even more. Despite Ohio’s governor, senators, and virtually every prominent state official endorsing his opponent, Jordan employed all of his facilities into hard work, leading him to unexpectedly win the 2006 election. Five years later in his small office framed with numerous family photos, Jordan encouraged us to find what we are passionate about and then whole heartedly pursue it against all odds. Dream big, because with hard work any dream is possible. After meeting with Congressman Jordan, we had a guided tour of the capitol building, which included a visit to the senate chambers where Harry Reid was discussing the issue of federal assistance for ethanol.
Thursday afternoon was spent promoting LI’s flagship Youth Leadership School by visiting over 250 congressman/congresswoman’s and senator’s offices. Personally, I was able to recruit several students on location and a large number have signed up for the school since our visit to the hill. After the walk, a group of interns ventured to the College Democrats of America National Convention. The purpose of this was twofold: to network with various students from across America, and hear their different take on issues in order to compose the most coherent rebuttals. The president of the CDA, Debbie Wasserman-Schultz, set the tone of the evening by rallying the room under cries for woman’s rights and the continuation of healthcare reform. “Government is the catalyst for change, NOT the problem” she exclaimed. While affording many accolades to President Obama, she also warned the room that the 2012 election is a threat to America’s future and that now is the time to rally together on campuses across the country and fight for the middle class. I was able to carry on several interesting conversations with various young democrats around the room (yes, I did say I was from Grove City College). It was overall a good and encouraging experience—as the event lacked substantial content and was highly under attended.
Amid all of the filing, documenting, writing, and recruiting, this week hosted some incredible opportunities. From meeting with Congressman Jim Jordan and visiting the senate to listening to Tim Goeglein speak, I learned a lot about the present state of our country, where solutions lie, and the role I play in those solutions. It is through hard work that I must unapologetically strive to live out my Christian principles in the current culture. Through personal relationships and individual connections, I can impact society in insurmountable ways. Although is it wonderfully encouraging to have Mr. Goeglein hold hope for my generation, it is more important for my generation to bare this hope. With confidence I conclude that the return to Judeo-Christian values is the only hope to reverse the moral decline present in our country. Washington cannot change the culture, but the culture is the only way to change Washington.
