Matthew Lines is a Political Science major with a minor in economics. He is an RA, the Vice President of his sophomore class, and the Editor-in-Chief of the college’s newspaper, The Cabinet. Matt really enjoys listening to lectures by his political science professor, Dr. Neikirk. Matt likes how Neikirk is a great political thinker yet also ties his faith into his teachings. As Matt explained, “He does an excellent job of explaining the difference between normative, what ought to be, and empirical, what we know from analyzed data. Everyone needs to experience a class with Neikirk. He talks to you, not at you.”

            Matt also discussed a class that requires students to have at least 15 hours of campaign service. This provides real hands-on experience for students. The students work phone banks for candidates and have multiple opportunities to attend debates and conferences where they could listen to political representatives. Such classes offer excellent insight into the realm of politics.