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The Student News Site of Saint Louis University

The University News

The Student News Site of Saint Louis University

The University News

Let Us Introduce You: Dan Carter

Let+Us+Introduce+You%3A+Dan+Carter

Junior Dan Carter—newly-nominated SGA president and intern for the U.S. Embassy in Vienna—has a range of political expertise which stretches beyond the academic setting, aiding in his victory for the student government presidency, but his passion for philosophy and governmental affairs was originally instilled in him as a child by his parents.

“My parents have been the most influential people in my life, the people who have shaped me,” Carter explained.

“I like to tell this story because it makes me laugh, but my dad studied philosophy at SLU as well. His whole thing was to find things out on your own. I asked him in grade school who a Quaker was—most people would give a direct answer in a couple sentences, but my dad said ‘That is a really good question; find out and let me know.’”

Initially, the indirect response upset Carter, but reminiscing on the event, he acknowledged the valuable life lesson his father taught him: that of asking and answering your own difficult questions.

Education was a primary priority within Carter’s household, with his mother reading to him daily as a baby and his father encouraging him to pursue philosophy while at SLU.

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“I never took philosophy in high school, so I had no exposure to it and had no idea what I wanted to study,” Carter said.

“I thought that maybe I would want to be a lawyer or judge, but my dad told me I should look into philosophy too.”

Following his first philosophy class freshman year with Scott Berman, Carter was confident with his decision to pursue the major. “[Berman] almost exclusively discussed Socrates,” he explained. “He took these timeless ideas Socrates had and applied them to the modern world and modern philosophical discussion.”

With the mindset of continuing his education at law school, Carter wishes to further his “pursuit of truth through the greater glory of God” as he continues to look to his dad for guidance.

“My dad is my role model in my life,” Carter said. “I don’t even think of it as a cliché because it’s true for so many people—a cliché is something people don’t put that much thought into and just say it, but I truly value my dad. He taught me what the pursuit of truth was, without putting it into those exact words, and I couldn’t have been more thankful and appreciative for it.”

Q. What has been your funniest memory while at SLU?

I went to a festival in Stuttgart, Germany, with some friends and when going back to Heidelberg, I fell asleep on the train and ended up in Frankfurt.

Q. What is one of your favorite hobbies?

I really enjoy music, especially singing. I was in an a cappella group in high school and sang in a choir, but I don’t do it in an organized setting anymore. I really like the composers that came out of the Romantic period, all rock, and have a soft spot for metal—a mixed bag of genres.

Q. What other clubs are you involved in other than SGA?

I’m a member of APO, the Campion Society, which usually has a talk, dinner and mass, and am also a member of the Office of Admissions.

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