A Blog on McConnell Center Life

C.S. Lewis, my favorite (and probably one of the most prolific) writers of the 20 th  century, became the focus of my senior honors thesis project. Although I suffered from a few setbacks—namely illness—in my efforts to complete this paper, my excitement and zeal to complete this task has yet to subside. My thesis revolves around Lewis’ writings on identity formation, and the role of the numinous in the formation of identity. Lewis uses myth, allegory, and other literary devices to demonstrate the importance of desire in the formation of identity. My thesis will argue that Lewis’s works suggest that true identification is granted when we condition our desire to eradicate every last trace of self, as opposed to looking inwardly or to the past, because a reformed self is not the goal that will surrender us to glory, or lend us unto joy, but rather a transformed self—a self that is not ours. For, one’s own possession of the self suggests that the identity of that individual remains ...

This year has been full of great experiences. The McConnell Center hosted Sen. Scott Brown, UofL hosted Chris Matthews and a live filming of MSNBC's Hardball, as well as Senatorial and Mayoral debates, and the College Democrats hosted former President Bill Clinton. Many McConnell Scholars were active in the campaign on both sides of the aisle this year. Candidates were also anxious to come to campus and get their message out to college students, making for a very exciting election. My favorite event was with President Clinton. I had seen him speak once before, during the 2008 Presidential primaries at Butler High School. We were in the large gym, but my mom and I both swear that he looked us directly in the eye at some point throughout his speech. He takes charisma to an entirely different level. His speeches draw the audience in. A McConnell Scholar asked Chris Matthews at a small question and answer session who his most memorable interview was. He got a funny smile on his face an...

The McConnell Center prides itself on offering an array of opportunities to both the university and the wider Louisville community. While the majority of their events exist within the tiers of leadership, scholarship, and service, some do stray outside of these parameters. Such events make for unique experiences. Over the years, I have increasingly come to consider the opportunity of a legal career. There are many aspects of the occupation that I would enjoy and others that I have learned are not so joyful. Regardless of personal considerations, however, I can always fall back on the plentiful knowledge of the McConnell Center for aid. Numerous former scholars have served or are serving in the legal profession. Their experiences range from Washington D.C. to businesses throughout the state of Kentucky. As a junior, I have given the utmost attention to gleaning information from these former scholars. I did so while interning for Senator McConnell and continued to do ...

With the semester over I was thinking about what I learned, and the classes that I had this semester. As an entering freshman in the McConnell program we are all required to take POLS 299 which is honors into to political science. This is one of the classes that I learned the most in this semester and I think that my fellow freshman scholars would agree with that. From Mexico and Japan to which high schools in Louisville were the best fit for our professor’s children, we had in depth discussions on everything. If you reading this then you have either had the first year interactions with college professors, or you are going to have them soon; Either way I thought a good blog would be to list the top 5 things I learned, and I think the freshman scholars   learned this semester. This way everyone can know what being a college freshman is like. 1.        Getting out of bed early morning without your mom making you is hard to do. So unless you know that yo...

A Different Rhythm The close of a semester and finals week always signal the beginning of a seemingly endless rush of conflicting priorities, carefully meted procrastination, and excess sleep deprivation. Even for someone like myself, whose exams are spread over nearly two weeks, can begin to lose sight of reality in the midst of such a storm of scholarly duties. It was at the onset of this deluge that I got the opportunity to spend the day at Gethsemane Abbey in Trappist, Kentucky. This isn't my first visit to a monastery, but it is the first English speaking monastery I've witnessed. My previous monastic visits were in vary different contexts—several in Greece and a couple in China—but each presented visitors with striking contrasts with the world just outside its walls. Visiting such a place is all the proof I need to realize (or remember) that the hectic nature of modern college life (and perhaps modern life in general) is almost entirely by The contrasts betwe...

I had to wait till the end of the Semester (and for grades to come in) to make sure I was able to do this blog. Now, I am proud to say that I am one of the few, the proud, and the brave to survive a class with Dr. Thomas Mackey. I hope to share with you that experience. A Mackey class is quite a ride. It's an experience that I am so glad that I had. However, I hope to share with you some tips that I wish someone had shared with me. 1. Go to class. Not only is there so much vital information for the tests given in class, you will find that his lectures are something that you do not want to miss. He keeps his classes so informative, but at the same time so entertaining. His was legitimately the only class which caught me surprised when our 50 minutes were up. I learned more from his lectures than from anyone else's...except maybe Farrier's. 2. Ask questions. He always allows you to ask questions in or out of class, and being able to pick the brain of someone like Mackey could...

This semester, the Center has hosted some wonderful speakers. Talking with Scott Brown was definitely a highlight, but Dr. Ted Steinbock, a scholar on Benjamin Franklin, was one of my favorites. Dr. Steinbock is not only an accomplished surgeon and a well versed scholar on Ben Franklin; he is also a collector of rare books. In our conversation with him, he brought out numerous books that he has accumulated over the years ranging from French books on electric to a collection of personal growth reflections by Ben Franklin. Each book he shared with us had its own story, each one fascinating in its own way. I particularly enjoyed our discussion on the importance of physical books within society, and how the recent demand for ebooks will affect out future. We also has an interesting discussion over what current book would be remembered in one hundred years. This truly made me think about the literature of today and what it means for our education in the future. I enjoyed Dr. Steinbo...

This fall, I was given the opportunity to compete in the Southeast Regional Moot Court Competition held by the American Collegiate Moot Court Association and The University of Tampa in Tampa Bay, Florida. Not only did I represent myself, but I represented the McConnell Center and The University of Louisville. It was a great experience and the competition that my partner and I went up against was truly impressive. This was my first competition for moot court, although I had had some experience from last year, having taken part in all the practices leading up to competition last year. It was the second regional competition for my co-council, Meagan Floyd, and we were not really sure how we or the team from the university would do this year,. We had not been to this particular regional in a while and, although we went in confident, we just did not know how we would show. We did outstanding. Coming out of the first day, all three teams qualified. We had a team with the 2nd overall eed ...

On December 2, Dr. Richard GAmble spoke with us about Saint Augustine's Confessions. He gave great insight on the many themes found in this autobiography which range from restlessness to pride to gratitude to humility (and those are a mere few). Dr. Gamble's perception of Saint Augustin is one that made us think. Saint Augustine was a man with very deep thoughts, some confounding ideas and an impressive mind. Saint AUgustine strongly encourages the desire for God and used the scripture Romans 13:14 which says, "...but put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for flesh in its lusts." Here, he was not only speaking of things that are morally wrong but of anything that can become a distraction between a person and God. A question that came up more than once in a variety of forms was about Saint Augustine's religious beliefs and how radical but then contradicting they could seem to be. There was no clear cut answer but thanks to Dr. Gambke, we did come to th...

As we near the end of another great semester here at the McConnell Center, reflection becomes realization, and, once again, numerous amazing opportunities have been presented to us in many forms and fashions. The multiple seminars and lectures, opportunities such as "Kamping with Kleber," meeting U.S. Senator Scott Brown, tailgating with Senator Mitch McConnell, are just a few examples of what we've experienced this fall. Many students around the country would love to have this. The most important experience and seminar that we had this semester was when Dr. Ted Steinbock brought his collection of Franklin's books and knowledge of Benjamin Franklin to the Center. It was a surreal experience in which books — hundreds of years old and held by Mr. Franklin himself — were right in front of us. I never imagined I would one day hold any book or piece of literature that influenced such as man as Franklin. Being that close to a forefather is a unique life-changing experienc...

On October 8th Dr. Nathan Coleman spoke with us about Ben Franklin's influential autobiography. During the lecture we dove into passages from the book that highlighted aspects of Ben Franklin's personality that endear him to our hearts. Perserverance, ingenuity, ambition, and prudence were all discussed, but one common thread that particularly piqued my interest was Dr. Coleman's perspective on Franklin's apparent arrogance. He pointed to Franklin's "did-it-alone" attitude in the autobiography. While there was passionate disagreement about the justification for his arrogance, the actual question was whether his arrogance had a significant role in how his legacy has been passed down. His story is one of the American Dream. It is a story of a working class boy that makes his way into the elite and privileged. From the youngest child to a French Court staple, his journey has been given worldwide attention throughout history. Is that story then one of self-acc...

My first semester at the University of Louisville as a McConnell Scholar is coming to a close. In order to share my experiences with you I decided to write an awful poem about it. The lines and syllables don't really flow or follow any established pattern or guidelines, and it doesn't rhyme that well, but I feel it is an effective way of reflecting on what has happened so far, so here it is. Its the season of love, the season of cheer The end of the semester is finally here. Its feels like just yesterday that we moved in but boy what a semester this one has been. We started by reading some Louis L'Amour, A Wandering Man from the second World War. Next we climbed up a Seven Storey Mountain to learn from Thomas Merton, the famous chaplain. There was much more to learn as we went on our way. We read from scholars, priests, and even Henry Clay. There was talk about law and judicial process, And the Moot Court team saw great success. We took a trip camping and sang songs with...

Earlier in November of this year, a group of McConnell Scholars participated in the Southeast Regional for the American Collegiate Moot Court Association. The case that the leadership assigned us was simple enough in its facts. But beyond these simple facts, the deeper issue before the Court crept out of the depths: whether Congress had the power to enact the Affordable Healthcare Act of 2010, and whether or not a state could refuse to recognize same-sex marriage within their jurisdiction for the purpose of this act. As arguments panned out, the complexity of both issues--issues that have divided and will continue to divide the nation--emerged. While contestants were not required to make known their own opinion, supported or unsupported, one cannot help but to re-examine in light of these arguments some of the assumptions that may have proven foundational to their worldview. For a fictional case, the issues were very real. Moot Court has given me great cause for reflection.

On the weekend of November 19-20, I had the opportunity to fly down to Tampa with 6 other McConnell Scholars and our wonderful Moot Court coach, Niel Salyer. We had prepared our arguments for months, and we were ready to perform at the Regional Competition. Once we arrived, it was a whirlwind. Everywhere you looked there were students in suits practicing their statements, it was pretty overwhelming. However, once we made it to our first room of competition, something kicked in and all nerves went away. Before we knew it we were finished with our first round of the day. A second later and we were done with all four rounds and waiting to find out who made it to the second day. In fact, all three teams made it to the second day! My goal on the second day of competition was simply to hold our own in the first round. I knew we were going against a really good team, and I expected our journey to end there. Yet, after the round was over, we were announced as the winners and paired with the ...

As the fall semester comes to a close, and as we look forward to another year of leadership development through the McConnell Center, I'd like to challenge my fellow scholars with the following quote by Scottish novelist and politician John Buchan : "The task of leadership is not to put greatness into humanity, but to elicit it, for the greatness is already there." McConnell Scholars are talented and capable, so it is easy for us to fall into the misconception of leadership being an opportunity to "put greatness into" others. We make our contributions through the elected positions we hold, the committees we sit on, or the extra-curricular activities we participate in at U of L and within the Louisville community. Buchan challenges us to stop recognizing the "greatness" within ourselves , and to instead look for it in others. I've been able to achieve Buchan's concept of leadership through my involvement with the service team this semester. Co...

Being a McConnell Scholar is an experience that is wholly unique. It has only been one semester but so much has happened. I came to Louisville and felt a little nervous at first; it was a new city, a new university... but it has become my new home. The McConnell Center played a huge role in helping me acclimate to the university and campus life. Over the Fall semester, the McConnell Center provided me with many opportunities that I probably would not have had the chance to experience anywhere else. I was able to hear the personal reflections of US Sen. Scott Brown (R), who won the late Ted Kennedy's seat in Massachusetts, and is also a former Cosmopolitan Magazine's America's Sexiest Man. My favorite reading for this semester was St. Augustine's Confessions , which explored the depth of self-knowledge, the duality of being, and knowledge of God. Being a McFreshman has been a brilliant mix of friendship, intellection, and experience.

Two of the most influentinal autobiographies in history are Confessions and The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin . Both of these show through example ways that the author believes that a person should go about living his or her own life. Both offer much advice that would be useful to any person looking for little ways to improve their lives. They also each give a good recounting of the important lives of the respective authors. However, there is a significant difference between the styles of the two that I did not notice until the most recent seminar on Confessions . Even though it is obvious that Augustine would have a more religious perspective, I did not realize how far this extended until Dr. Gamble talked about the book. One of the most pervasie themes of Franklin's book was his tone of pride, even arrogance. During the seminar on Franklin's autobiography we discussed the reasons and merits of such a tone, and I even argued that it was a good and necessary thing. ...

As the end of my undergraduate career approaches, I reflect upon my most fulfilling educational experiences. The lectures and seminars conducted by the McConnell Center and the University of Louisville provided an outstanding environment for an academic exchange. I gained an incalculable profit by testing my ideas and arguments in a gauntlet of other minds. However, personal conceptions and world views need creation and manipulation before dissemination. An individual’s willingness to question and seek answers forms the cornerstone of educational growth. No person holds responsibility for another’s education. During my sophomore year, the magnitude of self-education’s power revealed itself. I read Stephen B. Oates’s With Malice Toward None: A Life of Abraham Lincoln for an upper division history course. That book emphasized Abraham Lincoln’s ability to expand his life beyond the expectations of his heritage. Born in a small Kentucky cabin, Lincoln spent his youth splitting rai...

This semester has been quite an experience. I began as a determined pre-med biology major, but I have as the semester went on, I deviated from my intended path. Exploring political science, in class and at the McConnell Center, has peaked my interests, and I am changing directions for the next semester. I am grateful for the experiences the I have had at the center this semester, and I defintiely hope to become more involved in the upcoming semester.

I was given the great opportunity to work as a student assistant at the McConnell Center this past semester, and will continue to do so in the future. During my time as an assistant in the Center, I got a chance to see some of the behind the scenes work that it takes to keep the Center up and running and providing the University of Louisville, the City of Louisville, and the Commonwealth of Kentucky with some of the best speakers and educational opportunities around. Scholars of the program file in and out of the Weber Lounge on a daily basis, study, and socialize with friends in the Center, but never really get an understanding of the work that is put in by the staff over the course of the day. The staff is constantly working to make the experience of the students better and to make sure that the time they spend at the university is the best possible. Along with their obvious focus on the student, the staff also works diligently to make sure that the image of the Center within the ...

As the hours start to wind down, I am packed and ready to go. I have sent out my last emails, text messages, and I have my books packed and a fresh new moleskin ready to go. Of course going along with the ELO trend I have a few autobiographies packed, one by Kathy Griffin and the other by Chelsea Handler; simply because I like staying up-to-date with only the most important news. Besides a short cruise, this will be m first international trip. I am excited, nervous about the plane ride, and anxious to get there. I am lucky to be going on the trip with three of my wonderful sorority sisters. Once there, the Justice Administration team will be presenting an anti-bullying campaign to the children there. I will also help aide members from the Education, Communication, and Dental teams while in the classrooms. Even though for a ten day trip I just have a bag weighing less than twenty-five pounds, I believe I am ready. I am ready to experience a different culture, different food, and ho...

As fellow scholar and blogger Megan Floyd noted below, recently six scholars led by McConnell Scholar Alumni Neil Salyer embarked on a journey to Tampa, Florida to participate in this year's American Collegiate Moot Court Association Southeast Regional Tournament. As a senior scholar, participating in my fourth and final regional moot court tournament was surreal, causing me to reflect upon the four years I have spent as a member of the Center's moot court team. Moot Court has allotted me the opportunity to travel across our beautiful country (from Los Angeles to Miami), making memories and friends that will last a lifetime. But more importantly, each year, moot court presents a new set of constitutional problems that have allowed me to study our Constitution more in depth than I ever anticipated I would as an undergraduate. Thanks to Moot Court, I have a deeper understanding of the 1st, 2nd, and 4th Amendments, to name a few, and thanks to this year, a greater understanding...

My second year on the moot court team allowed me to expand my knowledge and specialize in an area of Constitutional interest. Last year, it was rights to privacy and this year, the commerce clause. Since September, I have been working on the commerce clause area of our moot court case and have a more extensive knowledge of my Article 1 rights then I ever planned on learning. The case this year dealt with two very current issues: the new health care act and the legality of same-sex marriage. Going into the season, I was supportive of the health care act but with this new information, I am more confused than ever. One case that the team relied upon to spin the health care act in the governments favor was Wickard v Filburn. The Wickard case dealt with a farmer, Filburn, who grew wheat in excess and violated the Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1938. The act was put in place to try and stabilize the wheat prices on the national market as they had been fluctuating greatly due to the ...

To kick off our commitment to service this semester, 8 scholars visited the Ronald McDonald House on September 28th. I was fortunate to be among these scholars, who took a few hours out of their day to give back to the community. To start out our work, we divided up cleaning duties on each of the four floors. The jobs proved to be very simple, yet rewarding. Next, we moved to the fourth floor kitchen to try out our baking skills. We ended up making two boxes of brownies and four boxes of cookies. Unfortunately, it seems that I have lost my touch for baking, as Jessica Bagby's cookies came out looking much better than my own. Nevertheless, it was a wonderful experience. I truly enjoyed spending the afternoon at the Ronald McDonald House. You never know how completing a few simple tasks can positively affect someone's day. I know the families staying there were very appreciative of what we accomplished. Service is a wonderful thing and I urge each of you to do more of it...

Senator McConnell and I share a connection that no one else in the McConnell Scholars Program shares- we are both Brothers of the Beta Beta Chapter of Phi Kappa Tau at the University of Louisville. Over the past year, I have had the distinct opportunity to serve our chapter as President and it has been quite an interesting experience. The Senator and I have had many interesting conversations about how the fraternity experience in Phi Tau has shaped us. The most fun conversations are the ones in which we compare how different the chapter is now compared to when he was an active Brother. At a football tailgate this year, I took Senator McConnell one of our Phi Tau rush shirts for fall 2010. He was very happy to get it and even asked to get a picture with me while he was holding it up. I also gave McConnell Scholars Program Board member, Dave Huber one as he is also a proud alumnus of my chapter. The fraternity involvement has certainly enriched my experience at the University of Louisvil...

I must admit that I was not a big fan of science fiction novels until I became a member of the McConnell Program. Since then, I have discovered the exceptional author H.G Wells and have now fallen in love with his writing style and his specific way of writing science fiction novels. Being a rookie in the area of 'sci fi' I thought it would be smart to start with a book written by "The father of Science Finction" as H.G Wells is commonly referred. I cracked open 'War of the Worlds' and was smitten. In 'War of the Worlds' Wells describes a human being traveling through London after it has been invaded by aliens. After doing research on this book I learned that this was the first time there had ever been literature written about a conflict between aliens and human beings. Since I can personally remember, alien v. human movies have been flooding the box office but to read a work that started this legacy, was quite entertaining. 'War of the Worlds'...

To my surprise, when the center announced that we would be reading a biography on Thomas Merton not many scholars knew who he was or what he was so famous for. Little did they know, Thomas Merton was a legendary poet, social activist, spiritualist, and Kentuckian. I first learned about Thomas Merton while attending the Governor's Scholarship Program at Centre College my junior year of High School. My main area of focus for my 5 weeks at GSP was Cultural Anthropology specifically focusing on the study of monasticism in various cultures and religions. We read excerpts of the Seven Story Mountain and even were even able to attend The Abbey of Gethsemani, which is located near Bardstown, Kentucky. Through reading The Seven Story Mountain in its entirety this semester and studying him during the summer of 2008 I am astonished that Thomas Merton is not commonly remembered as a famous Kentuckian. Thomas was famous for bridging gaps between the United States and famous Asian spiritual figu...