Latest News
More Than a Thesis: How the MLA Shapes Writers
In the MLA, the thesis becomes a sustained process of testing ideas, expanding imagination, and cultivating one’s own voice.
How Robert Herguth’s MLA studies at the Graham School empowered the veteran journalist to go places he hadn’t gone before.
In the April 21, 2024, print edition of the Chicago Sun-Times, a damning four-page story further illuminated issues of sexual abuse by Catholic clergy.
Penned by investigative reporter Robert Herguth, the story detailed “an incomplete and inconsistent accounting” of child-molesting clergy members “more than 20 years after the church’s sex abuse crisis exploded into public view.” Specifically, Herguth traced the history of one deceased priest, Rev. Mark Santo, who appeared on only one public list of credibly accused clergy despite living or ministering in at least nine U.S. church jurisdictions.
Herguth’s nearly 3,400-word story is detailed and exhaustively researched. It brings together public lists from dioceses and archdioceses across the country, as well as dozens of Catholic male religious orders. The story pulls details and facts from decades-old public archives, features interviews with representatives of dioceses from Miami to Detroit, and notes the events and activities – or lack thereof – of dioceses from Honolulu to Portland, Maine.
And as Herguth notes, his experience in the University of Chicago’s Master of Liberal Arts (MLA) program powered the breadth and quality of his meticulous investigative piece.
Eager to learn
A journalist for more than three decades and a member of his hometown newspaper’s Watchdogs investigative team, Herguth’s work has touched everything from City Hall to organized crime to biker gangs.
A second-generation journalist, Herguth says journalists are always diving into different, complex subjects and discovering new things, which made enrolling in UChicago’s MLA program a logical decision for a self-described “avid learner” eager to feed his curiosity, extend his knowledge base, and strengthen his understanding of human behavior.
“It was just what I was looking for,” Herguth says.
The Chicago area native started slowly in the Graduate Student-at-Large program, careful to select courses he could later apply to the MLA degree. Energized by UChicago’s lively learning environment, from motivated peers with distinct perspectives and lived experiences to seasoned professors with barrels of knowledge and thoughtful approaches, Herguth quickly transferred into the MLA program.
Class after class delivered new knowledge, diverse perspectives, and earnest reflection. He studied historical racism in America with U.S. historian Amy Dru Stanley, explored human motivations in a neuroscience course with Peggy Mason, and questioned why people embrace certain ideologies with sociologist Marco Garrido. And after years of ignoring Flannery O’Connor’s short stories, Herguth finally read the Irish American author in a literature course with Bill Veeder.
“That was a real blessing,” Herguth says of reading O’Connor, a favorite scribe of Herguth’s mother.
In the MLA program’s interdisciplinary environment, Herguth felt constantly engaged. He probed new topics, examined ethical dilemmas, and honed his critical thinking. He was exposed to different worldviews and challenged by novel viewpoints.
“I enjoy being around smart people and the MLA program didn’t disappoint,” Herguth says.
Pushing his work
As graduation neared, Herguth had wide license to pursue a thesis topic. While he initially considered embarking on completely foreign subject matter, he ultimately decided to pursue something familiar: the Catholic church and its failings to address sexual abuse, a topic covered extensively by newspapers, magazines, TV, and digital media outlets over the last two decades.
Herguth, however, thought he could do something particularly distinctive and impactful. Empowered by his MLA studies, Herguth looked to extend his own writing about the sexual abuse crisis beyond the Chicago area and the defined prism of the Sun-Times.
“The MLA program allowed me to think larger and beyond the parochial stories I had been doing,” he says.
Herguth investigated the transparency, accountability, and finances as both a part of the sex abuse scandal and in its wake. His advisor, Garrido, offered wise counsel that focused Herguth’s thinking and writing, sharpening the project’s direction and tone. The MLA program combined with Garrido’s guidance spurred a final effort tackling a largely unexamined angle of a well-established topic.
“The lack of uniform accounting of this crisis and scandal ultimately robs the public of deserved information,” Herguth says.
While his thesis covered more than 60 pages, Herguth coupled its central findings with some narrative flair and additional reporting to produce the Sun-Times feature. His thesis is spawning additional stories as well.
Having recently completed his MLA studies, Herguth shares gratitude for his UChicago experience. It pushed his professional work in a more enterprising direction and fed his intellectual curiosity. He’s now eyeing the UChicago Graham School’s Basic Program of Liberal Education for Adults to continue his learning adventure.
Read Herguth’s story on the Catholic church’s transparency regarding accusations of sexual abuse on the Chicago Sun-Times website. Register now for an information session to learn more about UChicago’s MLA program and the dynamic learning environment that sharpened Herguth’s journalistic work.
Related Blog
Bridging Athens and Jerusalem: A Financial Analyst’s MLA Thesis Journey
Mary Jo Griesenauer has built a successful career as a financial analyst, specializing in IT financial planning and analysis. While she has dedicated her professional life to quantitative problem-solving and leadership, she has also maintained her interest in exploring questions about life and spirituality.
How a Business Leader’s MLA Thesis Made an Impact on the Tennis Court
After a 25-year finance career, Lucas Kiely continued his intellectual journey by enrolling in UChicago’s Master of Liberal Arts program.