Peggy Noonan to Speak on Campus Thursday

I often talk about Wake Forest as a giant smorgasboard. There are tons of amazing things on the buffet, and for those who sample many bites (instead of just sticking to the things you already know and like), their experience tends to be far richer and more rewarding.

The things on the WFU buffet are many and varied – opportunities to hear great speakers, to be in clubs or organizations, to do service, to worship, to dance or listen to great music, or to be mentored in the career search. The list goes on and on. And this Thursday, your Deacs have a chance to hear from a nationally-known speaker, Peggy Noonan, who is here for our Voices of Our Time series:

Established in 2006 by Wake Forest President Nathan O. Hatch, Voices of Our Time is a guest speaker series that brings some of the world’s leading thinkers to campus. It offers a unique opportunity for Wake Forest students, faculty and staff as well as members of our surrounding community to hear from today’s most influential voices on important national and international issues.

Why should your students go?  First of all, it is an election year, and to have a speaker of Ms. Noonan’s gravitas on campus is a big deal, no matter what your political orientation.  From the website:

Peggy Noonan is a widely admired columnist for The Wall Street Journal, and the bestselling author of eight books on American politics, history, and culture. Called “the voice of our times” by USA Today, she is an accomplished and esteemed fixture in American political journalism. A former special assistant to President Ronald Reagan and former chief speechwriter for Vice President George H. W. Bush, she is considered one of this century’s premier presidential speechwriters. Her political column for the Wall Street Journal was called “indispensable to an understanding of the presidential year,” by the National Journal in 2008 and Forbes Magazine called it “principled, perceptive, persuasive, and patriotic.”

Second, it’s free and it is on campus.  How many times are your students going to have access to this kind of speaker without having to travel to hear her or pay for it?

So urge your Deacs to go hear Peggy Noonan this Thursday, September 8 at 6:00 pm in Brendle Recital Hall.