Jack Nicastro: Proving the Power of the Pen
They say journalism is dead … but Jack Nicastro is proof: It’s not going anywhere; it just needed a fresh coat of paint. He took over as House Coordinator for House Hazlitt in the summer of 2023; it’s Students For Liberty’s professional development track for Journalism and Content Creation. Jack’s mission was to show that the pen is still mightier than the sword. He just wasn’t sure how.
So, he went back to his roots as a classical liberal … to his heroes: John Locke and Adam Smith. Above all, he tapped into what compelled him to join Students For Liberty at Dartmouth University in 2021: Lockdowns — of people, and of ideas. Mandates — of masks and of obedience. “It was, ultimately, free speech that was under attack,” he said. “And I’m someone who likes to speak. You can’t take that away from me without a fight.”
Inspired by Ethan Yang, whose Freedom of Information request led to a Supreme Court case — Murthy v. Missouri — Jack’s fight began in earnest. “Ethan showed so much courage … I had to make him proud. While he was fighting in the courts, I wanted to fight on the battlefield field of ideas,” Jack said.
As the 2023 school year began, that fight began to take shape. In his role with House Hazlitt, he embarked on an ambitious project: to create the most impactful classical liberal magazine in North America. To do so, Jack knew it had to reflect the broad spectrum of libertarian thought and spark discussion by exploring controversial topics. Enter: LockeSmith.
With his background as scriptwriter at FEE, Jack took on the role of Editor-in-Chief and started recruiting writers from SFL’s broad network of students and thought leaders. He inspired Amjad Aun to explore the struggles of classical liberals in Syria; Padraig Quinn to examine the complexities of commerce and taxation; Juan Estevez to advocate for the creation of more private cities.
All the while, Jack was securing sponsorships. With House Hazlitt, he raised almost $5000 from Reason, Mercatus, and FEE, among other prestigious organizations, for the first edition. So LockeSmith had financial independence; a dynamic editorial vision; and a talented staff of writers. All that was left … was to launch. 1500 copies were printed for circulation at LibertyCon International in February 2024. By the end of the conference, every issue had been distributed.
