UPDATE: Due to unforeseen circumstances, tonight's Skeptics speaker has had to cancel. There will be no Skeptics on April 2, 2024.

As a student at Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, New York, Andrew Solender pursued his bachelor of arts degree in political science and history, while simultaneously laying the groundwork for his career in political journalism. He began with an internship at MSNBC followed by a stint as a political correspondent at Luminary Media. On Tuesday, April 2, Mr. Solender will join Skeptics for the first time to talk more about his passion and job as one of the nation’s truth seekers.
 
 In his most recent article for Axios, one of the nation’s foremost news outlets, Mr. Solender delves into the significance of Senator Bob Menendez’s (D-N.J.) recent indictment on federal bribery charges. In each of his pieces, the Vassar grad makes sure to highlight the news’ importance to make dense political journalism digestible for the everyday audience—a skill developed by a reporter who didn’t always want to be a journalist. 

“I initially wanted to be an architect when I was much younger, and then decided to go into politics in some capacity. I settled on journalism in college after I realized from a few internships that being a political staffer isn’t for me, and after I started writing columns for my school newspaper, which I really enjoyed,” shared Mr. Solender in a pre-event interview. 

Having gone down the road of exploring two different paths, Mr. Solender looks forward to sharing his experiences with students who may soon face the divergent roads.
 
“I was pretty lost when I graduated college and my idea of what journalism looks like was quite divergent from what it actually is,” said an eager Mr. Solender, who enjoys his exciting and often-demanding job. 

“My advice, based on my own experience, is to never let yourself be complacent. A consistent work ethic is what matters when everything else is stripped away.”

“It’s underrated how beneficial it can be to know what you want to do going into college, even if that changes later on. So I can’t wait to inform students about what journalism is like and, in general, how choosing a path can set them up well to get an early start on their careers.”

All are welcome to hear Mr. Solender speak in the forum of the Chiang-Elghanayan Center next Tuesday at 7 p.m.

 History of Skeptics
 
The Society of Skeptics was established as a forum for students and faculty to discuss and debate important global issues; it has grown to become one of the premier high school lecture series in the United States. Each week, speakers from the political, social, scientific, economic and literary arenas share their unique perspectives with students, who are encouraged to engage with presenters, asking questions and debating points of view.

The program, which is funded in part by the Class of 1968 Society of Skeptics Endowment Fund, is an outgrowth of the Blair International Society, begun in 1937. Forty years later, former history department chair Elliott Trommald, PhD, Hon. ’65, established the modern Skeptics program as a regular forum for student discussion and debate; history teacher Martin Miller, PhD, took over in the mid-1980s and molded the program into a weekly lecture series, one that has since continued without interruption. Under the tutelage of Dr. Miller and his successor, history department chair Jason Beck, Skeptics has featured a wide variety of speakers who are thought-provoking, engaging, accomplished in their respective fields and often controversial. For a listing of upcoming Skeptics programs, please visit Blair’s website.