Article | July 28, 2026
Helping Your Son Discover the Meaning of His Life
Featuring Alvaro de Vicente
Read OnHeightsCast | July 23, 2026
Reducing Anxiety through the Meaning of Work
Featuring Michael Moynihan
Read On| July 18, 2026
The Sheep Detectives: Agatha Christie Would Be Charmed
Featuring Joe Breslin
Read OnHeightsCast | July 2, 2026
An Introduction to Natural History: Beauty, Science, and Philosophy for Boys
Featuring Eric Heil
Read OnHeightsCast | June 18, 2026
Theology and Masculinity: Men’s Creation and Calling
Featuring Dr. Joseph Lanzilotti
Read OnArticles & Essays
Helping Your Son Discover the Meaning of His Life
The first step for "high school as life prep" is no less than helping your son discern the purpose of his life.
By Alvaro de Vicente | July 28, 2026
Life Prep: Introduction to the Series
High school shouldn’t just prepare boys for college—it should prepare them for life. Alvaro de Vicente kicks off a series for parents and educators, reframing the high school years as “life prep.”
By Alvaro de Vicente | July 21, 2026
A Good Use of Summer for Boys
Summer offers unique opportunities for building a strong family culture and assisting a boy’s personal growth in matters physical, intellectual, moral, and spiritual.
By Alvaro de Vicente | June 23, 2026
Scouring Tom’s Whitewashed Conscience
Pat Miggins explores the depths under Tom Sawyer's simple schemes and fantastical imaginings. Twain shows us in Tom what's involved in growing up.
By Pat Miggins | June 09, 2026
How to Not Be Anxious as a Parent
Parental anxiety is on the rise. While anxiety is understandable, the degree to which parents are anxious today is neither necessary nor productive. How can you respond?
By Alvaro de Vicente | May 19, 2026
The Creativity of Real Memorization
Real memorization is creative, personal, and fun; false memorization is ruinous.
By Joseph Bissex | May 11, 2026
Parental Presence, Part II
Parental presence is not achieved by physical presence alone. Ask: what one thing can I do to become a more truly present parent in my children’s lives?
By Alvaro de Vicente | April 28, 2026
A Simple Tool for Doing Better
A postgame review of every test that's handed back is perhaps the easiest—and most neglected—step towards improvement.
By Robert Greving | April 25, 2026
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Book & Movie Reviews
The Sheep Detectives: Agatha Christie Would Be Charmed
"A true family film of the sort rarely seen nowadays: entertaining for the kids but with enough layers to engage their parents."
- Joe Breslin Read the ReviewSoaring Over the Rainbow
" Wicked: For Good completes the faithful adaptation of a Broadway masterpiece. The Broadway musical Wicked first hit movie theate..."
- Mark Grannis Read the ReviewAll Tracks Converge: A Review of The Lincoln Highway
"After a stint in a Nebraska prison over an accidental killing, Emmett Watson prepares to start fresh in California with his wide-eyed eight-..."
- Joe Breslin Read the ReviewIn Search of Sacrifice: The Drama of the Family in Godzilla Minus One
"2023’s Japanese film Godzilla Minus One is more than a monster flick—it’s a true family movie. Not to be confused with CGI-heavy Ameri..."
- Joe Breslin Read the ReviewTestosterone Tropes: A Review of F1: The Movie
"If the social media “manosphere” became incarnate as a movie, that movie would be F1. Not so much a story as a series of “manly” tro..."
- Joe Breslin Read the ReviewLook Up: Why I Believe in Superman (2025)
"Superman (2025) is a fun and wholesome movie that’s best enjoyed on the big screen. Despite some issues with pacing and a few unfortunate ..."
- Tom Cox Read the ReviewCutting Edge, but Get to the Point
"Fantasy authors have a league of their own. They play for various intramural teams, such as The Snarky Sendups (Terry Pratchett’s Discworl..."
- Joseph Bissex Read the ReviewMelancholy, Minnesotan Medicine
"In a post-progress Midwest, beside that omnipotent and mercurial god, Lake Superior, Rainy and his wife Lark have the closest thing to happi..."
- Joe Breslin Read the ReviewEscaping the Void: A Review of Thunderbolts*
"The Marvel Cinematic Universe hasn’t done itself any favors since Endgame (2019). Between emasculating beloved male characters, inserting ..."
- Joe Breslin Read the ReviewA Sublime Comedy: Joe Versus the Volcano at 35
"Friday, March 9, 1990, was a pivotal day in my life, because it’s the day I picked up the phone and called the young woman who would, eigh..."
- Mark Grannis Read the ReviewBrowse all Reviews...
Podcasts & Videos
HeightsCast
Reducing Anxiety through the Meaning of Work
Our professional and academic anxieties may come from a crisis of meaning for the term ‘work.’
Featuring Michael Moynihan | July 23, 2026
Forum Faculty Podcast
Why Should I Read The Odyssey?
Is it ever too late to read one of the foundational works of Western literature? In this inaugural installment of “Books I Haven’t Read—and Why Should I Read Them?”, host Joel Sellier sits down with fellow faculty Gerard “Babo” Babendreier, Justin Myers, and Joe Bissex to discuss Homer’s Odyssey: why it remains essential reading, where a first-time reader should begin, and what an ancient epic can still teach modern readers about home, loyalty, pride, suffering, and love. The conversation also explores the challenges and possibilities of translation, with the guests...
Featuring Joel Sellier, Gerard Babendreier, Joseph Bissex, Justin Myers | July 24, 2026
An Introduction to Natural History: Beauty, Science, and Philosophy for Boys
A largely outdoor, discovery-based class for our lower school students, where they see the Valley as a textbook and the seasons as its chapters.
Featuring Eric Heil | July 02, 2026
Theology and Masculinity: Men’s Creation and Calling
Our headmaster often uses this paradigm for the ideal Heights graduate: he’s the kind of young man you’d want your daughter to marry. In a recent article for the Forum, Dr. Joseph Lanzilotti asked: in our current culture, how does a boy grow up to be the kind of man who desires that life? Delving into Church sources, both scriptural and magisterial, he has assembled the outline of a theology of masculinity. Responding to Pope St. John Paul II’s description of the “feminine genius,” Dr. Lanzilotti considers the prospect of...
Featuring Dr. Joseph Lanzilotti | June 18, 2026
Knowing How to Know: On Law School and Other Professional Discernments
The “moving walkway” toward the future will go forward; at which stop should you get off? How can you pick a path on purpose—not due to momentum?
Featuring Mark Grannis | June 04, 2026
Crafting and Sharing a School Vision
How does a school community grow united in its vision and sense of mission?
Featuring Alvaro de Vicente | May 28, 2026
Compiling an American Book of Fables
Former faculty Dr. Matthew Mehan's newest family book offers an education in civics, geography, history, and love of country, presented for the A250 year.
Featuring Matt Mehan | May 21, 2026
Pragmatic Hope: Understanding AI & the New Economy
As a top cybersecurity expert, Mark Ryland shares how AI really operates and what kind of impact it may have on the job economy our children inherit.
Featuring Mark Ryland | May 14, 2026
The Walled Garden: Critical Considerations for Classroom AI
AI tech has come knocking at the classroom door. How do we best educate citizens—rather than simply users?
Featuring Andrew Cantarutti | May 07, 2026
A Humane Way of Life: The Research Behind Home Tech Decisions
Increasingly, the vision we as parents have for our children is in direct competition with the vision big tech has for them.
Featuring Clare Morell | April 30, 2026
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