Brian Philipps: Politically Correct

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Senior Brian Philipps is a politics man — he devoutly watches C-SPAN as often as possible and will instantaneously tell you off the top of his head the news in congress. Even political arguments for Philipps are a frequent occurrence. Philipps can’t remember exactly when he got started in politics, he just knows it has always been a part of his life. Going to Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., and majoring in international economics at, according to Philipps, one the best schools for foreign service in the nation couldn’t have been a better choice.

“I think I’m a rather social creature, and so I think the social nature of politics has really appealed to me,” Philipps said. “[Politics is] something that really impacts this country going forward, so I think it’s just something that I’ve always been inclined to be involved in.”

One thing Philipps cannot deny is his conservative voice. Philipps says his conservatism amongst a largely liberal student body, specifically in the International Baccalaureate (IB) program, has not discouraged him in voicing his opinions.

“It’s really kind of something I embrace because there aren’t necessarily a lot of conservatives in IB,”  Philipps said.  “I kind of enjoy that intellectual discourse and the dialogue that goes on in a kind of situation like that.”

Philipps’ interest in politics stems from an early childhood fascination introduced by a politically-involved family. From when he was in elementary school, and still today, he watches Fox News and MSNBC, reads the New York Times and scrolls through the Daily Beast as often as he can. His ambition to make an impact on anyone with his words and intellectual and political ideas drive his desire to one day be in the Chief of Staff for the president.

“I don’t know if I’m the face, I don’t know if I’m the person who’s going to be in the elected office, but you know, pulling the strings behind the scenes is really appealing to me and affecting change in terms of policy and in terms of the boss of this country,” Philipps said.

With two of his older siblings being quite liberal, Philipps has seen both sides of the two parties. According to Philipps, at Georgetown, he will be able to see even more diversity, and be able to work with people with differing views.

“I think that kind of academic, intellectual, ethnic, socio-economic diversity is something I am looking forward to,” Philipps said.

Getting a degree in international economics is something that Philipps can take in many directions, whether it be in politics, banking or finance. His hope is to do something internationally.

Philipps knows that to be successful in politics you must have confidence. And confidence is something that he knows he has.

“If you’re confident and you think that you can make a difference, you will be able to,” said Philipps. “I think that being able to present yourself well, especially in politics or in international relations, but really in any field, is a tremendously valuable skill.”

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