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By Tom Kurtz
In March, Alexandra Hudson visited the McConnell Center. The writer, public speaker, and contributor spoke about the themes of her book, “The Soul of Civility”. In her speech, she referenced an essay from Richard H. Thomas, entitled “From Porch to Patio”. In this essay, the author and Iowan discusses the value of the front porch. Not quite the sidewalk yet not quite the living room, the porch, he explains, is the epitome of welcoming. From this extension of the house, one can sit comfortably but still open oneself to neighbors and conversation. The politesse that is nurtured on the porch is a seed that only grows once it returns to the world.
The second half of Thomas’ essay takes a critical turn. He laments of the decline of the tangible porch and, as Hudson explains, the correlating decline of intangible interpersonal civility and courtesy. I couldn’t help but realize that this trend has yet to affect my life at the University of Louisville.
From my fraternity’s house on Greek Row, I have spent my freshman year basking in the virtue of porching. The porch on Unity Place is the centralization of a college social life. The porch hosts gatherings of fraternity brothers, classmates, and friends. As the bustling university life passes by, we exchange homework advice, share music suggestions, and enjoy a space to dissolve prying and provocative ideas. From our perch above the sidewalk, we pull passersby from their speedy business and invite them to the scene that Thomas observed; a place where time is cherished and civility is cultivated.
Tom, of Owensboro, Ky., is a member of the McConnell Scholar Class of 2027 at the University of Louisville. He plans to study political science on the applied politics track.