NEWS AND OPINION:
The nation’s 40th president has genuine staying power. Ronald Reagan still brings in a hefty audience. How do we know this?
“Reagan” — a biographical drama released in August — is ranked No. 2 on Amazon’s list of bestselling “Movies & TV,” besting some high-profile rivals.
The two-hour film centered on the Gipper and his life and times is more popular than “The Lord of the Rings,” “Deadpool & Wolverine,” “The Dark Knight Trilogy” and “Harry Potter: Complete 8-Film Collection” — to name a few.
“Reagan” features veteran actor Dennis Quaid in the title role and had grossed $30.1 million at the box office as of Oct. 24 — which surpasses the earnings of such presidential biopics as Rob Reiner’s “LBJ,” and “Nixon” and “W” by Oliver Stone.
The film was directed by Mark Joseph, founder and CEO of MJM Entertainment Group. It is available in Blu-ray, DVD and digital formats.
Revisit the film at Reagan.movie.
IVY-COVERED HALLS
Is there an emerging interest in classical values in the educational world?
“The University of Tulsa is working to instill virtues of truth and morality in its honors students through a new grant. Located in Oklahoma, the university recently received a $585,000 grant from the Educating Character Initiative, a project of the Lilly Endowment and Wake Forest University, to support programming in its Honors College,” according to the College Fix, an online student-written news organization.
“Our goal is to prepare our students for life through cultivating a love of the truth, a moral vision and sense of purposefulness, and an appreciation for what is beautiful,” Jennifer Frey, dean of the Honors College, told the site.
The university has two main goals in mind.
“One is to ’strengthen the classroom experience by improving assessments, training more faculty in a character-centered approach to the study of classic texts, increasing honors offerings, and expanding the college’s Humane Letters degree,’” the College Fix said.
“Honors College classes have a seminar format where students study virtues such as humility, fortitude, patience, and wisdom by reading classic works of literature,” it added.
Those classic works include such titles as Homer’s “The Iliad” and Plato’s “Symposium.”
University President Brad Carson told the College Fix that the program stands out from other colleges by using the great works of literature to “both educate and promote good character formation” among students.
“We believe that communal and serious study of the great masterworks of Western civilization is one way of growing excellent habits of mind — thinking, reasoning, communicating arguments — and one method of cultivating our desires to seek what is true, good, and beautiful,” Mr. Carson said.
Find the College Fix at TheCollegeFix.com.
’LOVE YOUR COMMUNITY MORE’
President-elect Donald Trump’s appointed border czar, Tom Homan, appeared on Fox News’ “Life, Liberty & Levin” to address the challenges of illegal immigration and how the incoming administration plans to handle those challenges.
“All of a sudden, the guys who want to enforce the law are the bad guys; the guys who break the law are the victims,” Mr. Homan said.
“I will say this, President Trump has made it clear. We’re going to prioritize public safety threats and national security threats right out of the gate because they pose the most danger to this country. What governor or mayor doesn’t want public safety threats and national security threats out of their neighborhoods? Out of their communities? That’s your number one responsibility,” Mr. Homan continued.
“So you can hate Trump all you want, but you’ve got to love your community more than you hate President Trump,” he said.
Host Mark Levin told his guest that “the American people have spoken, and they’ve spoken loudly in a landslide election. They want this fixed. President Trump and you are the right guys to do it.”
ON THE RADAR
The U.S. Coast Guard Academy will host next summer a cross section of defense analysts, operators and managers from government, industry and academia here for the Military Operations Research Society’s 93rd Symposium.
The big event is scheduled for June 9-12 at the Connecticut academy.
“The four day symposium is expected to bring about 1,000 attendees from across the country to the Academy and to several spaces at Navy Subase New London. The event will not be open to the public,” the organizers said in a press release.
“MORS is made up of operations research professionals within the nation’s defense community that have worked to enhance the quality and effectiveness of operations research in the context of national security. Members include analysts, researchers, consultants and officers within the Department of Defense, Department of Homeland Security, academic institutions, various think tanks and consultancy firms,” the organizers noted.
“We are honored and excited to support as the facility host of this important event,” academy Provost Amy Donahue said in a written statement.
“This is a tremendous opportunity that brings together renowned experts and leading voices on operations research and national security,” she noted.
Find the academy at uscg.mil.
POLL DU JOUR
• 37% of U.S. adults say their Thanksgiving plans for this year have been affected by price increases.
• 47% of Republicans, 35% of independents and 29% of Democrats agree; 38% of Hispanics, 37% of Blacks and 37% of Whites also agree.
• 36% overall say their Thanksgiving plans have not been affected by price increases.
• 30% of Republicans, 32% of independents and 47% of Democrats agree; 35% of Hispanics, 36% of Blacks and 37% of Whites also agree.
• 19% did not respond because they will not celebrate Thanksgiving Day this year.
• 16% of Republicans, 24% of independents and 17% of Democrats agree; 16% of Hispanics, 20% of Blacks and 19% of Whites also agree.
• 8% are not sure about the issue.
• 8% of Republicans, 8% of independents and 7% of Democrats agree; 10% of Hispanics, 7% of Blacks and 7% of Whites also agree.
SOURCE: An Economist/YouGov poll of 1,592 U.S. adults conducted online Nov. 17-19.
• Follow Jennifer Harper on X @HarperBulletin, on Facebook @HarperUniverse.
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