Welcome back, all (and welcome to you spring-starters). Let’s do a recap.

A couple of months have passed since the historic and unexpected (though entirely predictable in retrospect) election of Donald Trump to the presidency, and a handful of things have improved in that time.

For one, my hope for competent governance at the highest level. Giving credit where it’s due, the President-elect’s appointments have been, for the most part, honest, respectable, experienced and sober-minded conservatives who can (and I believe will) do much to keep good government going and even reign in some of President-elect Trump’s potential excesses.

There are a few exceptions, of course (looking at you, Dr. Carson), but on the whole, Trump is doing what he and his supporters have said he would do: surround himself with knowledge and experience to guide him in his decision-making and to manage the executive branch with him.

As a bonus, Trump’s cabinet is shaping up to be even more conservative than Reagan’s. You may not particularly like that or agree with these new federal executives’ respective visions, but that doesn’t change the fact that their credentials (again, for the most part) are impeccable, and that most of us expected a Trump cabinet to look far more weird and far more concerning.

Another improvement is national morale. An Associated Press poll has found that most Americans think that 2017 will be better than 2016, despite the constant doomsday scenarios spun by our political, journalistic and other cultural elites. And while I remain a #neverTrump conservative and share all the rational concerns about a self-described strongman being elected to a position of power, I think that optimism is grounded.

Some things, however, have gotten worse. Most notably, despite a handful of “come to Jesus” moments for a select few leaders at the upper echelons of liberalism/progressivism, the left at large remains unrepentant for the bad behavior that helped drive voters to the Donald.

The condescension and moral narcissism of the progressive power players and structures of our country continue, by and large, the most recent example found last Sunday in Meryl Streep’s acceptance speech at the Golden Globes.

That has been torn apart every which way by all sides (even Trevor Noah of the Daily Show called her dig at football and mixed-martial arts “tone deaf”), so I won’t spend a lot of time on it.

I will say, however, that the stark contrast in reactions to that same speech (a full quarter of my friends thought it beautiful and moving) is just the latest episode that has motivated me to make myself more available for communication and discussion with the UNI community.

To that end, I’m announcing that starting next week (if not sooner), I will set aside an hour every school day to be in the Rod Library near the Book Bistro and make myself available to any of you who wants to talk.

Perhaps you have questions about ‘x’ conservative political doctrine. Maybe you want to learn more about Christian theology and apologetics. Whatever we may agree or disagree on, if you want a respectful conversation, I will be there and I will do my best.

I will let it be known as soon as I’ve settled on a time to generally be there. For now, however, you’ll know me by the large paper I’ll fold up in a pyramid-style sign and write in bold letters “Campus Gadfly: Let’s Talk.”

I look forward to seeing you there.