About the Episode:

In this episode of Common Knowledge, hosts Brett Harkey and Chris Reynolds sit down with computer science instructor Jim McCormick to explore an unexpected but compelling question: Can programming be part of a classical education? Drawing on Jim’s background in engineering, industry, and classical schooling, the conversation examines programming through the lens of the Seven Liberal Arts, intellectual rigor, and the formation of the mind.

Together, they discuss whether programming languages function as a kind of modern Latin, how coding cultivates habits of logic and precision, and why the rigor of programming can be both demanding and deeply joyful. The episode challenges the assumption that classical education and modern technology are at odds—and instead suggests that programming may be one of the most classically formative disciplines available to students today.

Jim graduated with a Masters Degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana. After 24 years of computer chip design at HP and Intel in Fort Collins, he became a computer science instructor at LCHS in the fall of 2022.

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About the Episode

In this episode of Common Knowledge, Dr. David Diener—Hillsdale professor, Plato scholar, and former classical school headmaster—unpacks why classical education still matters in the 21st century.

What if the goal of school isn’t just a good job or high test scores, but becoming a fully flourishing human being? Diener contrasts the 2,000-year Western tradition—rooted in virtue, wonder, truth, goodness, and beauty—with the modern shift toward practical training and “relevance” that began with the Industrial Revolution and progressive thinkers like John Dewey.

He explains how classical education cultivates excellence in thought, character, and community life, producing graduates who succeed by conventional measures and live deeper, more meaningful lives.

A thought-provoking conversation on what education is really for—and why the classical approach might be more relevant today than ever.

About Dr. David Diener

Dr. Diener is the author of Plato: The Great Philosopher‑Educator and has published widely on Plato, Kierkegaard, and the philosophy of education. He holds a BA in Philosophy and Ancient Languages from Wheaton College, an MA in Philosophy, an MS in the History and Philosophy of Education, and a dual PhD in Philosophy and Philosophy of Education from Indiana University. He currently serves as the Assistant Professor of Education at Hillsdale College.

More about Dr. Diener: https://www.hillsdale.edu/faculty/david-diener/

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About This Episode

This episode explores the classical understanding of physical exercise—from Ancient Greece through later Western thought—and its role in cultivating discipline and human flourishing. Rather than focusing on modern training methods or institutional practices, the conversation examines how classical thinkers understood exercise as a formative habit of the body that supports virtue and self-governance.About the GuestsFrank Russel is the Athletic Director for Liberty Common School and serves as the wrestling coach and strength and conditioning coach at Liberty Common School and is a certified strength and conditioning specialist through the NSCA. He has worked with University of Nebraska volleyball, soccer, and wrestling and has spent the last two summers with CSU football.

Matt Anderson has been involved in athletics for his entire life. A Fort Collins native he grew up participating in soccer, basketball, and dance. After graduating from high school he played college soccer for four years at Adams State University, before moving on to compete professionally for two years in Europe. Matt then transitioned into coaching and teaching. He has coaching experience at the collegiate level, club level, and high school level. He has been teaching for six years now and has taught Government, History, Geography, and Physical Education.

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This episode has been updated to clarify that guest Natalie Scarlett’s work with Mango Languages took place in 2021–2022.

About the Episode:

With daily headlines on AI's effect on culture I've begun to wonder if we ought to be less concerned about powerful computers passing the Turing test or more worried about weak humans failing it. AI has begun to colonize our hearts, minds, bodies, expression/communication, environment, integrity, and the limp response is alarming. Alarmists want to explicitly ban it, compromisers want to cautiously allow it, and cynics want to let it voraciously conquer us. But I think bolstering and defending those things that make us human is the only way to stop the steady, subtle, and stealthy encroachment of AI's influence in our humanity. I've read a lot about this and have several ongoing conversations within my creative community and English department. I would draw on the work of Matthew Crawford, Paul Kingsnorth, George Zarkadakis, and Gary Marcus in my comments on this.

About Natalie Scarlett

Former English instructor at Liberty Common High School, Natalie is a writer and director with a background in the performing and literary arts. She has spent her career exploring how creativity and culture shape the human experience.

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In this episode of Common Knowledge, hosts Brett Harkey and Chris Reynolds are joined by Liberty Common School instructor Jason Mayer to explore the historical significance of the Sepoy Rebellion. Often overlooked in popular history, this pivotal uprising reshaped the trajectory of colonial rule and set the stage for global changes between 1870 and 1914. The discussion highlights how the rebellion’s legacy continues to shape both European and Indian history today.

About Jason Mayer

Jason teaches history at Liberty Common High School and currently serves as the department chair. He has taught for 27 years—15 of those at Liberty Common School.

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In this episode of Common Knowledge, hosts Brett Harkey and Chris Reynolds welcome Liberty Common School instructor Alysa Balfour for a thought-provoking exploration of two timeless works: The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis and Meditations by Marcus Aurelius. Together, they uncover surprising connections between Lewis’s satirical insights on human temptation and Aurelius’s stoic reflections on virtue and self-mastery. The discussion situates both works within “The Great Conversation,” tracing how ideas from vastly different eras and traditions still speak to one another—and to us—about the moral struggles and philosophical questions that shape the human experience.

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In this episode, librarian Paige Gowing and English instructor Lander Hultin join to explore the work of celebrated author Gary D. Schmidt. Best known for his deeply moving young-adult novels, Schmidt’s storytelling addresses universal themes—identity, resilience, empathy, and moral growth—through richly drawn characters and historical settings.

He’s received two Newbery Honors (Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy in 2005; The Wednesday Wars in 2008), a Printz Honor, and a National Book Award finalist nod for Okay for Now. His most recent works include Just Like That (2021), The Labors of Hercules Beal (2023, winner of the Josette Frank Award), and the forthcoming A Day at the Beach (2025).

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Although Latin is often called a "dead language," its influence is very much alive in modern culture. From film and literature to science and law, Latin continues to shape the way we communicate and think. Latin Instructor Jake Bryan dives deep into the beauty behind the language and why it is still relevant today.

About Jake BryanJake started at Liberty Common in the fall of 2022. Before that, he taught Latin at a college preparatory school in Oklahoma City for five years. Originally from Dallas, Texas, he attended the University of Oklahoma, where he majored in Letters with a minor in Latin.

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