Mary Julia Koch

Why are Gen Zers flocking to Catholicism? They're searching for structure, tradition, and happiness. “The Catholic Church has got 2,000 years of history, and people are drawn to that right now,” @ryanburge says in my @NewYorkSun latest. https://t.co/V0FyzxCKvM

Catholic Dioceses across the US are seeing a surge in converts. “People are looking for truth, meaning, and purpose, and they’re beginning to find that in the Church,” says the director of evangelization at @FWdiocese, where conversions rose by 72% in 2024.

Mary Julia Koch @MJ_Koch

Will the passing of Pope Francis and the rise of Pope Leo XIV signify the end of liberal Catholicism? That's the hope of many young Catholics who are rejecting progressivism for traditionalism — aka #TradCath. I explore this movement in @NewYorkSun: https://t.co/V0FyzxCKvM

“I’ve been teaching for 15 years now, at two different Catholic colleges, and I’ve observed a massive shift toward more traditional practices among Catholic students,” @CRPakaluk says. That includes Latin liturgies, old-fashioned theology, and “betrothal” ceremonies.

Mary Julia Koch @MJ_Koch

Will the passing of Pope Francis and the rise of Pope Leo XIV signify the end of liberal Catholicism? That's the hope of many young Catholics who are rejecting progressivism for traditionalism — aka #TradCath. I explore this movement in @NewYorkSun: https://t.co/V0FyzxCKvM

Will the passing of Pope Francis and the rise of Pope Leo XIV signify the end of liberal Catholicism? That's the hope of many young Catholics who are rejecting progressivism for traditionalism — aka #TradCath. I explore this movement in @NewYorkSun: https://t.co/V0FyzxCKvM

Gen Z leans progressive, but a rising conservative cohort favors more traditional attitudes toward marriage and family. Many are intent on bumping up the birth rate. “These traditional values are part of the cornerstone of this young conservative movement,” @racheljanfaza says.

Mary Julia Koch @MJ_Koch

Gen Z is shifting away from traditional notions of family. Only 48% of young adults consider having children an important life goal. Their top priority is achieving financial security. I explore what's fueling this trend in @NewYorkSun: https://t.co/lZkRbM7OsX

“The sense that a child is really important for your life — that’s fallen over time,” says @CRPakaluk. A key reason is lower levels of Biblical faith, she says. Today, almost half of Gen Z claims religion isn’t important, and over one-third are religiously unaffiliated.

Mary Julia Koch @MJ_Koch

Gen Z is shifting away from traditional notions of family. Only 48% of young adults consider having children an important life goal. Their top priority is achieving financial security. I explore what's fueling this trend in @NewYorkSun: https://t.co/lZkRbM7OsX

Gen Z is shifting away from traditional notions of family. Only 48% of young adults consider having children an important life goal. Their top priority is achieving financial security. I explore what's fueling this trend in @NewYorkSun: https://t.co/lZkRbM7OsX

If Harvard did away with federal funds, it would require “substantial belt-tightening,” says @Klmarcus of the @brandeiscenter. “Research universities have gotten completely addicted to federal money, and will find it extremely difficult to break the habit.”

Mary Julia Koch @MJ_Koch

Can Harvard, up against an antagonistic president, survive without billions in federal funding? Could it set a precedent for other Ivies to follow? I explore the challenges facing the US's oldest and wealthiest university in the @NewYorkSun: https://t.co/s5AqhnZwar

Harvard's endowment is over $50 billion––greater than the GDP of nearly 100 countries. “If anybody can disentangle themselves from federal strings, Harvard could,” says @ishapiro. “The joke is that many of these institutions are hedge funds with schools attached.”

Mary Julia Koch @MJ_Koch

Can Harvard, up against an antagonistic president, survive without billions in federal funding? Could it set a precedent for other Ivies to follow? I explore the challenges facing the US's oldest and wealthiest university in the @NewYorkSun: https://t.co/s5AqhnZwar

Can Harvard, up against an antagonistic president, survive without billions in federal funding? Could it set a precedent for other Ivies to follow? I explore the challenges facing the US's oldest and wealthiest university in the @NewYorkSun: https://t.co/s5AqhnZwar

Today, the cost of securing a top college athlete like Cooper Flagg can be millions of dollars. “Especially in these times when higher education might be facing cuts, schools want to do everything they can to recruit students,” says @juddcramer.

Mary Julia Koch @MJ_Koch

If you want to find the real March Madness, look at how NIL is skewing the playing field of college sports. The best teams are getting even better—and the lesser teams are losing out. My @NewYorkSun story on this new “pay to play” paradigm: https://t.co/ep4vQbsKfJ

If only a couple dozen universities can afford the prime athletic talent, collegiate competition will be consolidated—and less fun to watch. “At that point, so much of what makes college sports lucrative, dynamic, and a marketing boon has fallen away,” says @rickhess99.

Mary Julia Koch @MJ_Koch

If you want to find the real March Madness, look at how NIL is skewing the playing field of college sports. The best teams are getting even better—and the lesser teams are losing out. My @NewYorkSun story on this new “pay to play” paradigm: https://t.co/ep4vQbsKfJ

If you want to find the real March Madness, look at how NIL is skewing the playing field of college sports. The best teams are getting even better—and the lesser teams are losing out. My @NewYorkSun story on this new “pay to play” paradigm: https://t.co/ep4vQbsKfJ

The White House "has presented colleges and universities with a simple choice — adhere to federal laws prohibiting harassment and other forms of discrimination or risk federal funding," @RepWalberg of @EdWorkforceCmte tells me.

Mary Julia Koch @MJ_Koch

Trump is targeting leading universities like Columbia and Penn. But trouble could soon come for hundreds of schools outside the elite 1% as the administration wages a coast-to-coast campaign to transform higher education. My @NewYorkSun latest: https://t.co/fOkMLnZH1q

Trump is targeting leading universities like Columbia and Penn. But trouble could soon come for hundreds of schools outside the elite 1% as the administration wages a coast-to-coast campaign to transform higher education. My @NewYorkSun latest: https://t.co/fOkMLnZH1q

RT @Efune: Here’s a nice report from the Financial Times on some of the progress we’ve made at The @NewYorkSun, including attaining profita…

“The university could do a sort of internal government efficiency department,” says @LeoAKoerner of @harvardrepclub. “If they had proper messaging, I think everyone would support it — except perhaps those who are perpetuating it.” https://t.co/5QcgopZydp

Mary Julia Koch @MJ_Koch

Trump wants Musk to use a “scalpel,” while Musk prefers a chainsaw, against colleges and universities. Could schools save themselves by forming a kind of internal “DOGE” that targets bureaucratic bloat? My @NewYorkSun latest: https://t.co/5QcgopZydp