A Blog on McConnell Center Life

This past Friday, January 28, the McConnell Scholars visited Dawson Orman Elementary School. During our visit, we taught nine classes including the Head Start program about Going Green, Healthy Eating Habits, and we also shared our love for reading. Dawson Orman Elementary has children from over 20 different countries, and many of the children are from families with incomes below the poverty line. "When I was younger one of the biggest things that had an impact on my education was that my parents would take the time to sit down and read with me, which imparted a life long love of reading. This service event gave us the opportunity to sit down with children in the same situation, read to them, and to engage with them in their learning process." -- Sarah Stovall "It was rewarding to interact with children who may not get the kind of interaction or attention that they need to receive at home." -- Meghan Waters "In an age where government programs are some...

31 January 2011 McConnell Event Dr. Natalie Feuhrer-Taylor – Literary Statesmanship In her first trip to the McConnell Center, Dr. Feuhrer-Taylor discussed and answered questions about Henry Adams’s Democracy: an American Novel. Her lecture focused on the motivating principle of Adams’s work: “literary statesmanship.” This term refers to Adams’s concept of influencing the sphere of governance not through elected office, but instead through thought provoking literature. For many, this is a difficult concept to grasp. With the cyclical movement of individuals back and forth from lobbying, governing, and commentating, Adams’s “literary statesmanship” is a lost concept. In his novel, Adams presents several motifs critiquing American democracy in the Gilded Age. His discussion of pervasive corruption and the degenerative trajectory of American politics have garnered him the label of pessimist. Feuhrer-Taylor suggests that such judgment is rash and fails to examine some of the underlying m...

On January 25, Dr. Tkweme led a seminar on Malcom X. He showed explained what Malcom X was responsible for. The list included the Nation of Islam, the spread of orthodox Islam through African Americans in the United States, and his book, the Autobiography of Malcolm X which became a best seller. Through this seminar we were able to gain an understanding of the Malcolm X that is not always depicted. He was a self educated man who learned much in prison. During this period of "self-enlightenment" Malcolm began to study the teachings of Nation of Islam and it's leader Elijah Muhammad. We know of his leaving the Nation of Islam but there is so much more to the story. Malcolm X was a born leader who was intelligent and articulate. He was for the spread of Black nationalism to all African Americans across the nation. To end the discussion, w e spoke about Malcolm X's death and it's mystery. Dr. Tkweme gave us great insight and answers on many questions we had. We wer...

Yesterday, the McConnell Scholars and I had a special opportunity to meet with the Circuit Clerk of Jefferson County, David Nicholson. He is the first guest of our 'Local Leaders' ELO (Extended Learning Opportunities) which was created to bring in community leaders to share their experiences with us. It also gives us a chance to discuss the challenges facing Louisville and Kentucky. Many of us weren't exactly sure what the Circuit Clerk's office specifically did. He quickly explained why it was so important. The office brings in 34 million dollars a year and has 329 employees. "If you were a stockholder in a company this big, you would want to pay attention to what's going on there. In a way everyone in Jefferson County has stock in my office- their tax dollars." The Circuit Clerk is in charge of collecting fines, issuing driver licenses, and signing off on criminal and civil judgments. Many people don't realize that with "one stroke of a pe...

On January 19, 1807, Ann and Henry Lee welcomed their fifth child into the world: Robert Edward Lee. Young Robert was born into one of the most prestigious of Old Virginia families. Two of his uncles had signed the Declaration of Independence. His father, Henry “Light-Horse Harry” Lee, had served as one of George Washington’s most trusted subordinates. Greatness, it would seem, flowed in his veins. Lee went to the Military Academy at West Point. It was at that fine institution that Lee first came to be called “the marble man,” a name given to him by his fellow cadets in admiration of his impeccable character. He would graduate second in his class of 1829, without a single demerit to his name. Because of his high standing, Lee was given the opportunity to choose his branch of service, and he elected to serve in the elite Corps of Engineers. As an engineer, Lee was sent to various posts throughout the United States. His work encompassed building fortifications at Fort Sumter, South C...