As if You Yourself Were a Slave
Reflections on Passover and the Yale regime. Hillhouse Avenue in New Haven, Conn. (Credit: Buckley Institute) Ari ShteinOpinions Editor, The Buckley Beacon Passover is upon us, the Jewish holiday which celebrates the Exodus narrative. As flowers burst forth from their buds, and throngs of Yalies pour out of the library onto Cross Campus in celebration…
Iran Is Bleeding — and We Are Barely Talking About It
When people die in silence, the killing does not stop. It spreads. A woman lights a picture of Iranian Supreme Leader Khamenei. (Source: @melianouss via X) Shervin IssakhaniContributing Author I am an Iranian student at Yale. My country is experiencing one of the most violent and systematic crackdowns on civilians in its modern history, and…
So Some Yale Professors Are in the Epstein Files
The moral characters of David Gelernter and Nicholas Christakis are better judged by every other aspect of their respective careers. Professor Nicholas Christakis (left) and Professor David Gelernter (right). (Credit: Yale School of Medicine; Yale Engineering) Ari ShteinOpinions Editor, The Buckley Beacon On Friday, January 29, the US Department of Justice released millions of pages…
The Committee on Trust in Higher Education Is Losing the Plot
Reflections on former associate attorney general Vanita Gupta’s visit to Yale. Vanita Gupta and Dr. Beverly Gage answer an audience member’s question at a Committee on Trust in Higher Education event on December 2, 2025. (Credit: Corinne Cowan) Ari ShteinStaff Writer, The Buckley Beacon On Tuesday, the Committee on Trust in Higher Education held…
Preservation and Utopia in the Conservative Imagination
At Buckley’s annual conference, scholars explored how conservatives honor the past while restraining utopianism. Even so, they revealed that restraint carries its own utopian impulses. A panel during the Buckley Institute’s annual conference at the Omni New Haven Hotel at Yale on November 14. (Credit: Buckley Institute/Bill Morgan Media) Raleigh AdamsOriginal Reporting Editor, The…
The Conservative Civil War Is Coming to Campus
Are we ready to fight it? Branford College at Yale University. (Credit: Owen Tilman) Ari ShteinStaff Writer, The Buckley Beacon On October 26, the Board of Directors of The Harvard Salient, a conservative campus outlet, announced they were suspending the publication. It was the culmination of a weeks-long controversy, kicked off by a passage…
Cut the Fat
An ode to Yale’s administrative bureaucracy. Memorial Quadrangle Gate on High Street near Yale University’s Old Campus. (Credit: Owen Tilman) Ari ShteinStaff Writer, The Buckley Beacon Pick one person, at random, off Yale’s New Haven campus. Keep your eyes closed—don’t peek!—and ask them what it is they’re doing here. Incredibly, it’s just about as…
We Don’t Need ‘Trust.’ We Need Ambivalence.
The American university has never been more reviled. And the way we’re trying to fix it is wrong. Pauli Murray College at Yale University. (Credit: Buckley Institute) Ari ShteinStaff Writer, The Buckley Beacon In April, Yale University President Maurie McInnis convened a Committee on Trust in Higher Education, which would “undertake a process…
On Charlie Kirk and Political Violence
The recent wave of politically motivated attacks in America compels us to fear. It also compels us to unite. (Credit: © zimmytws/Getty Images via Canva.com) William BarbeeContributor, The Buckley Beacon As I exited my apartment last Wednesday afternoon, I felt the vibrations of dozens of cell phone notifications harangue me from my pocket. I…
When Extremism Masquerades Аs ‘Equality’: Why Connecticut’s Latest Equal Protection Bill Is A Threat To Civil Rights
The new resolution S.J.35 provides no new protections, but rather uses extreme language to prevent any compromise on some of the most controversial cultural topics of our time. Kylyn SmithContributing Author, The Buckley Beacon On Friday, February 7, I logged on to the Connecticut Government Administration and Elections’ Public Hearing at noon to testify against Senate…
To Our Liberal Friends
Our response to Publius. Buckley Beacon StaffThe Buckley Beacon Publius, the now-defunct Yale Daily News editorial board, took Yale by surprise with their Election Day special, “We’re Jealous of Our Conservative Peers.” To their credit, they managed to do something quite impressive: Frame liberal hostility to conservative opinions as a perk, not drawback, of conservatives’…
How to Make Your Yale Degree More Valuable: Lessons From Buckley’s Annual Conference
“The Buckley conference encouraged students to consider what it means to be challenged—consider what it means to get the most out of their Yale education. Should students take action, speaker after speaker pointed to a promising future: one where ideological friction in the classroom actually makes students sharper. A future where embracing the free speech…
Our Guardian Angel Needs Us
I served beneath her colors, my grandfather was buried beneath her honor, and now she lay beneath the feet of a crowd who despised her, rejoicing in her demise. Shailen SharmaManaging Editor, The Beacon She could not soar anymore, her wings torn. Her country would not hold her up as she fell to the ground. The…
Beacon Fall 2024 Crossword
“October is the month for painted leaves. Their rich glow now flashes round the world.” -Henry Thoreau, “Autumnal Tints” Isaac ObermanPuzzle Editor, The Beacon
D.C. Interns: Vote for a Safe Summer
After four years of the Democratic Party ignoring the crisis of safety in America’s cities, Democratic Party nominee and Vice President Kamala Harris’ past support for defunding the police has catapulted crime to the forefront of national debate. It is time for young voters to reckon with the truth. /*! elementor – v3.23.0 – 05-08-2024…
Breaking the Myth: Politics and Ethics Aren’t Just for Politicians
“Again, politics is everywhere. It’s reality. And if you can’t talk about these things and give everyone a little space to do it, then we can’t function as a democracy and as a pluralistic society.” /*! elementor – v3.23.0 – 05-08-2024 */ .elementor-widget-image{text-align:center}.elementor-widget-image a{display:inline-block}.elementor-widget-image a img[src$=”.svg”]{width:48px}.elementor-widget-image img{vertical-align:middle;display:inline-block} Sabrina GuoAssistant Editor, The Beacon Some believe that avoiding…
“Ask Your Tour Guide About Yale’s Investment In Genocide”: A Letter to Yale Students
A note from the author: As a student at Yale, I find it hard not to feel the tension caused by the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Many people have died on both sides, and there has been unrest throughout the duration of this conflict. This article is not meant to be a position piece on the conflict…
All Center, No Women: The Breakdown of the Yale Women’s Center
From the Center’s political leanings and poor contactability, a question arises: can a university-funded group under the non-partisan moniker of “women’s center” politicize their aid and make themselves as highly unreachable as the Yale Women’s Center and still say they are living up to their mission? /*! elementor – v3.21.0 – 08-05-2024 */ .elementor-widget-image{text-align:center}.elementor-widget-image a{display:inline-block}.elementor-widget-image…
What Yale Can Learn from Harvard on Political Debate
This is the lesson that Harvard has for Yale: invite the people who are the decision makers. This extends far beyond just the Russo-Ukrainian War. Professors, authors, and survivors share invaluable insights but do not substitute for those in power who are making on-the-ground decisions and wrestling with world issues in harsh real time. /*!…
Disagree. Please.
Trevor MacKay reflects on the complexities of discussing the Israel-Palestine conflict on campus and recounts a successful event organized by the Buckley Institute that fostered respectful and meaningful debate on the subject. He emphasizes the significance of maintaining civil discourse and intellectual diversity, highlighting a constructive dialogue as a model for engaging in sensitive issues.…
NATO’s Chamberlain Moment
With the unprovoked Russian invasion of Ukraine, the necessity of NATO for the security of Europe is clear. However, the invasion of Ukraine has also proven (again) that Russia has little regard for geopolitical norms and that our liberal order of sovereign nations is not as secure as originally believed. History has shown that authoritarian…
One Arrow, Two Hawks: Taiwan as China’s COVID Antidote
一箭双雕：one arrow, two hawks. This idiom, analogous to the Western “kill two birds with one stone,” appears frequently in Chinese politics, most recently in Xi Jinping’s recent financial sector purge: a move to simultaneously eliminate corruption while silencing political opposition. Xi’s China faces two massive targets gatekeeping its road to “great-power” status, which it has…
The Pandemic of Bureaucracy
The ongoing pandemic has exposed a variety of fault lines in our society. One such fault line lies within the bureaucratic state. This bureaucracy has always existed to a certain extent, but the existence of COVID-19 has accelerated its influence and reach. I do not mean to suggest that there exists a conspiratorial shadow government,…
Schorr: Enough is Enough
This piece was originally published in The Yale Daily News. After six months of harsh isolation in 2020, I came to Yale last summer with the hope that things would be better. Instead, my first year was marked by isolation and confusion as emails announcing new regulations arrived weekly in my inbox. With permission to…
On Pronouns
A problem arises when the person grading a given student’s assignments appears to be privileging one ideological perspective over another. It understandably gives cause for concern, regardless of whether or not said concern is grounded, leading to the loathsome problem of self-censorship.
Reflections on Matthew Continetti’s Seminar on The History of American Conservatism
The Buckley Program hosted Matthew Continetti for a seminar series on the History of American Conservatism from October 1st to 15th. Mr. Continetti is a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. A prominent journalist, analyst, author, and intellectual historian of the right, Mr. Continetti was the founding editor and the editor-in-chief of The Washington…
Reflection on Professor Patrick Deneen’s Seminar on the Mixed Constitution
The Buckley Program hosted Professor Patrick Deneen for a seminar series from March 12th to 26th. The seminar was titled “Reviving the Mixed Constitution: How to Overcome the Elite-Populist Divide.” Patrick Deneen is Professor of Political Science and holds the David A. Potenziani Memorial Chair of Constitutional Studies at the University of Notre Dame. He…
Reflection on Dr. Auslin’s Seminar on the Turbulent Pacific
The Buckley Program hosted Dr. Michael Auslin for a seminar series on the Turbulent Pacific from February 12th to 26th. Michael Auslin, PhD, is the Payson J. Treat Distinguished Research Fellow in Contemporary Asia at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University. A historian by training, he specializes in US policy in Asia and geopolitical issues in…
Do You Know the Name of Your Representative?
By Hovik Minasyan What is the name of your state senator? How about your councilmember? I dare say most Americans cannot name a single local representative. This is a massive problem. The roads in your city, the schools that your kids go to, and sales tax that you pay are all decided at the local…
Reflections on Marriage Debate
Why has America retreated from marriage? Because marriage requires stability, trust, and commitment to partnership above all.
Reflections on Mona Charen
“The fascinating discussion lamented the loss of chivalry, explored the dark side of the liberal feminist movement, and taught us all that equality does not mean ignoring differences, it means celebrating them.”
We Live in Strange Times
“Pride is a fundamental flaw of humanity and socialism will always tempt a proud few to its cause. As such, socialism will never completely disappear nor should we be surprised at its revivals.”
Reflection on a Semester with Dr. Steven Hayward
“Perhaps the best method of achieving a ‘repristination’ of modern conservatism, as Bill Buckley called it, is exactly what Dr. Hayward’s seminar set out to do: read, think, debate, and, most importantly, listen.”
Reflection on Dr. Art Laffer
“In [Dr. Laffer’s] eyes, the United States is still the most free-trade nation in the world; however, he believes a world with no trade barriers would be most beneficial for economic prosperity.”
Firing Line Debate on Gun Control: A Conversation with the Legal Minds of D.C. v. Heller
“From the very beginning, however, it was clear that these two intellectuals refused to succumb to the lesser angels of our present politics. Though their legal positions in Heller might have been antithetical, the two began their interviews, conducted separately, expressing a nearly identical sentiment: litigation is not the solution.”
Oren Cass on “Overheated” Climate Change Coverage
“Mr. Cass’ general view on climate change can be summarized as the following: it is happening and humans are causing it, but it is not as serious or urgent an issue as most people believe…the slight warming of the globe over a long period of time will be something humans can easily deal with, and…
Recommendations from AEI’s Dr. Roslyn Layton
AEI Scholar Roslyn Layton, recent guest of the Buckley Program and expert on Net Neutrality and digital privacy issues, provided this reading list for fellows including articles, blogs, podcasts, and book recommendations!
Professor Jack Goldsmith on Executive Power and Current Concerns
“…a great conversation about not only the state of politics but how the history of presidential power and restraint can help us better understand an often confusing administration.”
JEB: A Classical Conservative
“For Bush, conservatism strives to create a future by learning from the lessons of the past. ‘If there was ever need for a Bill Buckley-like approach to transforming conservatism in this country, it is right now,’ Bush noted, pointing to William F. Buckley, Jr.’s trademark brand of intellectual, no-nonsense debate. ‘When there is a breakdown…
Engagement is not Agreement: Thoughts on Governor Bush and the Buckley Program
“The Buckley Program is not a group of radical, ill-intentioned Conservatives trying to stay relevant through sensationalizing trivial news, but rather a group of conscientious and pragmatic thinkers who seek truth in a complex society—much as all Yalies are here to do.”
Restoring Civility with Governor Jeb Bush
“[Governor Bush] highlighted that ‘our politics mirror culture.’ In his eyes, insults took precedence in 2016 not just as a result of the actions of our politicians, but because the culture of America condoned and even endorsed them.”
Professor Samuel J. Abrams on Viewpoint Diversity and Faculty Activism
“Universities in particular, as opposed to the rest of the world, are supposed to be “safe spaces” where ideas can be vigorously debated. This is where that social progress occurs…by suppressing this here, we are stunting our social progress.”
Erica Komisar on the Politicization of Motherhood
In short, was the disagreement about facts, or about values? Erica responded that when people do not want to hear a message, they do not hear it. One implication of her message is that society is not putting the needs of children first. Pointing this out makes some people uncomfortable. Another implication of her message,…
Penn Law Professor Amy Wax on Birth Control and Marriage
Amy Wax ’75, the Robert Mundheim Professor of Law at the University of Pennsylvania Law School, addressed Buckley Fellows and guests on October 26th on the topic of “What Is Happening to the Family and Why?”. The following is one Fellow’s reflection on her talk. Birth control destroyed marriage, according to Amy Wax (who cites Cheap…
Firing Line Debate on Brexit: James Kirchick and Dr. Nile Gardiner
On Tuesday, October 3rd, the Buckley Program hosted a Firing Line Debate on Brexit with James Kirchick and Dr. Nile Gardiner. James Kirchick, of the Brookings Institution, is the author of The End of Europe. Dr. Nile Gardiner, of the Heritage Foundation, is a former aid to Lady Thatcher. The transcript below has been lightly edited for clarity. By:…
Reject the Decline of American Pop Music
By: Abhay Rangray Music is one of the most fascinating aspects of a nation’s culture. Music not only reflects the mores and values of a given culture but also acts as a medium for emotional expression and human exaltation. Looking at the current state of popular music however, one finds troubling trends. For a variety…
Reflection on event with Dr. Veuger, resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute
By: Blake Dixon Last week, Dr. Stan Veuger of the American Enterprise Institute and Ms. Rachel West of the Center for American Progress engaged in a spirited debate before members of the Yale community. The debate centered on the proper role for minimum wages in the labor market. As a Buckley Fellow, I was given…
Reflection on event with Charlie Spies, former counsel to the Romney Campaign
Charles Spies, campaign finance lawyer and co-founder of the Pro-Romney Restore Our Future super PAC, came to speak at an event jointly hosted by the Buckley Program and The Politic magazine on November 28th, 2016. By: Zach Young I enjoyed getting the chance to hear Charlie Spies, former counsel to the Romney Campaign, discuss issues about the influence of political…
Oxfam Exhibits Poverty of Facts in Global Inequality Report
By: Bernard Stanford If you were at all active on social media or read the news last month, you probably saw a report from Oxfam that made the rounds, claiming that the eight richest people have as much wealth as the bottom half of everybody on the planet. In fact, Oxfam releases a report in…
The Role of North Korea in International Peace
By: Julie Slama As President Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe were meeting in Mar-a-Lago in early February, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un made headlines for a successful missile launch into the Sea of Japan, paired with claims that the country could already have the technology necessary to conduct a strike against the…
President Trump: A Threat to International Diplomacy?
By: Julie Slama This February, I had the opportunity to attend the World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates in Bogota, Colombia. The summit, which drew 26 Nobel Peace Prize recipients and thousands of participants covering six continents, discussed hurdles to peace present in the world today. American presidents have a history of receiving the prize,…
Religious Freedom and the Benedict Option
The following essay drew inspiration from the Buckley Program’s dinner seminar and discussion on religious freedom with Mary Eberstadt on 1.25.17 By: Noah Daponte-Smith The past eight years have been something of a disaster for religious conservatives. President Obama may have campaigned in 2008 on an anti-gay marriage platform, but by the time he left office last week, gay marriage had…
Reflections on The Buckley Program’s Annual Fall Conference
This October, the Buckley Program hosted its sixth annual conference and gala on the future of the American political party system. Below are two brief reflections written by current undergraduate students. Andreas Ravichandran, ES ’19 Yale can often be a politically homogenous place, filled with students and faculty that dogmatically espouse a uniformly liberal philosophy that stymies…
Reflection on The Buckley Program’s Fall 2016
Reflection on American Parties: The Problem of Purity By Pedro Enamorado When people ask about your politics, do you respond with “Conservative,” or “Republican?” Half a decade ago, the common answer would have been the latter, but today many will answer with the former. The William F. Buckley Program’s Sixth Annual Conference tackled the…
An International Perspective on the Refugee Crisis
The Challenges of the Syrian Refugee Crisis By Karina Kovalcik In March 2011, in keeping with the Arab Spring movement sweeping through the Middle East, there were prodemocracy protests in Deraa, Syria. The people were protesting the Assad Regime in a peaceful manner over the arrest and torture of teenagers who painted revolutionary signs on…
Reflections on Syrian Refugee Debate
By Pedro Enamorado Reflections on our Event: Syrian Refugees in the US: A Humanitarian Obligation or a National Security Threat? As a Christian Conservative, I regret to say I hadn’t give the Syrian refugee crisis enough thought. The cause of the refugee and the immigrant is dear to me, especially as I am the son of Honduran…
Reflections on “Defection in the 2016 Election”
Reflection on the Exodus from the Establishment By Pedro Enamorado An uncommon election year awaits us. How are we to make sense of the unexpected rise of highly polarized, non-establishment candidates? This past Wednesday, the William F. Buckley Jr. Program held an event called Defection in the 2016 Election: Sanders, Trump and the Exodus from the establishment” to…
Only Make “Promises” You Can Keep
As I waited for my twice-delayed flight to board in shimmering, subtle McGhee-Tyson Airport, Air Force One descended into Knoxville, Tennessee. This Presidential visit had no scarcity of fanfare – miles of interstate blocked off, a kaleidoscopic display of armed officers from various divisions, and even an entire floor of a local hospital occupied by…
A Reflection on Peter Collier’s Seminar
Overview Last Friday the Buckley Program welcomed Peter Collier to campus to speak with fourteen Buckley fellows over a lunch at Mory’s. Mr. Collier was invited by the Buckley Program to talk about his book Political Woman: The Big Little Life of Jeane Kirkpatrick but provided many interesting insights regarding the modern day political spectrum.…
Reflections on Christina Hoff Sommers
The Buckley Program’s recent guest speaker, Christina Hoff Sommers, gave a lecture on her vision for “freedom” feminism, and sparked an important conversation around campus about feminism and women’s rights. In the hopes of providing a small snapshot of this reaction, The Beacon features both an opinion piece of a current Buckley fellow, Karina Kovalcik, and…
On the Poverty Conference: Part II
This is the second post in a three part series aimed at summarizing some of the arguments made at Notre Dame during the Center for Ethics and Culture’s 15th annual conference, this year on poverty. You can read my first post here. In the following post, I’d like to elaborate on the ways in which…
On the Poverty Conference: Part I
Child poverty is not all about the money. It is about parenting, love, and engagement with the child. Children growing up in rough, dangerous neighborhoods often do grow up to live middle class lives and better. The cycle of poverty is perpetuated not by material poverty but by a poverty of spirit or love. Heckman…
Thoughts on the Latest Defacement
This situation presents us with the difficult question of how we ought to deal with offensive but anonymous acts of defacement based in hatred. Sure, community-wide and public condemnation of such acts and promotion of more positive and respectful attitudes are important first steps, but can we prevent these situations from occurring in the future?
The American Dream: Myth or Reality?
Leonard Schleifer, the CEO of Regeneron, is a billionaire. Regeneron, a global, extremely successful biotech company, has seen the best performance in the S&P 500 for the past three years. A little unknown fact about Schleifer though is that he started out operating a small snow-shoveling business. This surprising revelation led me to begin thinking…
Why We Must Defend Free Expression
This year, President Salovey’s freshman address was on free expression. His speech focused on a report on that topic written by a committee appointed by President Kingman Brewster. Notable among the members of the committee was Professor Woodward, Sterling Professor of History and scholar of the American South. Salovey remarked “…it is important on occasions…