A Blog on McConnell Center Life

Justin Brandt University of Louisville By Justin Brandt, Class of 2013 Before my current study abroad trip to China, I had never really heard of this island unless I noticed a "Made in Taiwan" tag on toys or clothes. I naively assumed Taiwan was just another Southeast Asian country benefitting from the economic development that has been occurring in that region of the world. First of all, I have since learned that I was wrong in assuming it was a country at all (even though it has its own President, passport, and belongs to the World Trade Organization). But my much bigger mistake was misunderstanding its importance and relevance to the world. Taiwan is small island about 100 miles (the distance from my hometown of Fort Thomas to Louisville, Ky.) off the south east coast of China. It has been controlled by the Ming Dynasty, the Dutch, and Japan. In 1949, the Chinese nationalist party, led by Chiang Kai Shek, escaped to the island with about 2 million pe...

Michael Zeller University of Louisville By Michael Zeller, Class of 2013 China is simply a bizarre place, and I consider myself an expert having come straight from Russia. As enchantingly odd as my time in Russia was, China has managed to upstage the motherland (at least in peculiarity, its allure is a bit lacking). Indeed, the very way of thinking is different here. If there is an ideological spectrum wherein the United States stands to one side with individualism, decentralization, and democratic republicanism and Russia stands to the other side with collectivism, centralization, and authoritarianism, then the inclusion of China necessitates the conversion of that spectrum into some 3-D plane. It is a mystifying place. Thus far, all our time has been spent in Shanghai. This city, perhaps more than any other (if our student guides are to be believed), is the most westernized, cosmopolitan place on the mainland. The best indicator seems to be the views expressed by some ...

Meagan Floyd University of Louisville By Meagan Floyd, Class of 2013 Americans love to complain about the inadequacy of our political system. We get upset when week after week we watch Congress argue and debate over every little piece of information. We dissect every statement the presidential candidates make, realizing time and time again that these politicians are human. They make mistakes and are not always the most efficient workers. I have never been so grateful for our purposely flawed system of checks and balances and America’s “lame-stream media” until yesterday. Our class at Shanghai’s Jiao Tong University is looking at China as a rising world power. Susan Shirk’s “China Fragile Superpower” looks at the global strength but domestic weakness of China.  The communist party debates only behind closed doors, coming forward with a strong, unified face to keep the citizens in order. The views of individual politicians will never be ...

 By Ben Weyman, Class of 2013 Longhua Cemetery of Martyrs Whenever I travel abroad, I make it my goal to have as “foreign” an experience as possible.  Thus, based on everything I had studied about Shanghai prior to arriving in China, I fully expected it to be my least favorite city we would visit on this trip. A sprawling cityscape that was losing, or had already lost, its Chinese roots to international influences (my impression of the city before we left) did not seem to have a lot to offer to some of my more adventurous desires. I am very happy to say that that I was wrong about Shanghai. While foreign influences into the city are quite easy to see, there is so much in Shanghai that we have done that is uniquely “Chinese.” First (and in my opinion most important) is the food.  From the very first dinner, Chinese food has been a treat. That dinner also set a trend for trying foods that could definitely be considered strange back home beginning with what...

 by Dr. Gary L. Gregg Russell Kirk once described the American Political Tradition as being the product of five cities--Jerusalem, Athens, Rome, London and Philadelphia.  It is difficult to argue with this understanding of America's patrimony as our founders who framed our Constitution in Philadelphia were themselves so profoundly influenced by the literature, traditions, history, language, and institutions of these four great cities that predated their own. During the 2011-2012 academic year, the McConnell Center set out to explore the history and influence of one of those great cities--London--and it all culminated with a visit to that world capitol in May. Our curriculum started with a visit to Williamsburg, VA in the fall where we explored the four great migrations from the British Isles to North America as laid out by David Hackett Fischer in his magisterial Albion's Seed.   We are still today being influenced by the cultures, including t...

By Dr. Gary L. Gregg, McConnell Center Director Senior Dinner Remarks 2012 Regarding the Passing of Captain Daniel H. Utley Good evening and welcome. It's really great to have all of you here tonight helping us say farewell to the latest graduates of the McConnell Scholars program.  Many others wanted to be here this evening, I know, but were unable to.  They send their regards and congratulations to the graduates. Senator McConnell is on his way to be with us this evening and we anticipate him being here before the end of the ceremony this evening. We are here tonight to bid farewell to those students who have managed to survive — and thrive — amid the challenges and travails of the last four years with us and at the University.  From the class that started with us in the Fall of 2008, just seven are left standing and one joined along the way. Dan Utley But before we tell the story of this class, which is what ...

By Adam Dahmer, Class of 2013 One of my closest friends in China is a fellow student at Shanghai Jiao Tong University. I think I like him because he can be a bit of a rebel: he is an admirer of American-style civil liberties, a routine violator of government censorship restrictions, and a staunch and vocal advocate of Chinese democratization. He is also card-carrying communist. Yes, you read correctly. He is not simply a rank-and-file member of the CCP, but a party secretary.  I was at first taken aback by the seeming contradiction in his declared values and his political affiliation. When I asked him to explain what I thought was clear hypocrisy, he said the explanation would be lengthy, so we decided to discuss it over drinks. What he told me was as surprising as it was reaffirming. To begin with, the CCP is no longer communist in anything but name. The Leninist-Marxism that evolved into Maoism has been replaced by a vague sense of national devotion tinged with emp...

By Adam Dahmer, Class of 2013 Which is better: authentic Chinese food or Chinese food as it exists in America? Authentic Chinese cuisine is remarkably distinct, not only in comparison to traditional American fare, but when considered against the food at American Chinese restaurants. The differences are numerous and striking. For one, soy sauce - so ubiquitous a presence at Chinese-American restaurants that no table seems complete without it - is usually treated as no more than a cooking ingredient, and therefore stays in the kitchen.  Condiments in general have proved conspicuously absent from most meals. Occasionally a phial of pepper sauce, garlic, or vinegar might be provided, but only at some establishments, and never in the company of salt, ground pepper, or ketchup. The burden of seasoning Chinese dishes seems to reside squarely on the shoulders of the chef; if a patron doesn't like the way a certain dish tastes, he has little recourse but avoidance. To be fair, most ...

Max Morley University of Louisville Yes, I am in China. And if you pay close attention to the blogs, you'll notice that my nine classmates are having their China blogs posted by our glorious PR associate in the McConnell Center. This is because China's government, (specifically the Propaganda Ministry, a department run by the Chinese Communist Party and the government, if there is a difference) controls media. However, that is not the case for me. You'll see that this blog is posted from my account, MC Morley. This is because of a combination of my disregard for rules, especially when they're silly, and my desire to keep in touch with others back home in a more direct manner. Regardless, that is not the point of this post. My first blog from China is going to be about living, for however short a time, at the mercy of the Propaganda Ministry. Facebook is not commonplace in this country, because the Chinese government has chosen to prohibit its usage. The same ...

By Meghan Waters,  Class of 2014 Before Oxford (4/29) : This is my last day in the U.S.A. before I embark on my journey to England.  As I’m doing some last minute packing, lots of thoughts are swirling around in my mind.  I’ve been to London, England before, so I somewhat know what to expect, but this will be my first time in Oxford.  I’m really looking forward to studying C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien and others in the place where they found inspiration.  Maybe I’ll find some inspiration as well!  During Oxford (5/5) : This is our last day in Oxford before we head to London.  Needless to say, I have been very impressed with Oxford.  I am in love with the small atmosphere; London is huge in comparison.  There is so much to do, yet it still has a small town feel.   I’ve also enjoyed all the colleges of Oxford University that we’ve visited.  Each campus is very quiet, neat, and overall conducive to learning and studying....

Meagan Floyd Class of 2013 One of my favorite days during our trip to Oxford, England, was our visit to Stratford-upon-Avon, Shakespeare's birthplace. We prepared for the visit by reading Shakespeare's  Comedy of Errors and attended a seminar with one of St. Clare's professors. Shakespeare's birthplace and church were both crowded on that rainy afternoon. People from all over the globe had come to see this small town, which begs the question - what is about Shakespeare so many find appealing? I am in no way a Shakespeare expert, but I think it is because his work is timeless. I realize this is a generic statement, but it hit home while watching a Shakespearean play that evening. The Comedy of Errors tells the tale of two sets of twins, one set wealthy and the other set, servants. A set of twists and turns separates the pairs until they unknowingly end up confusing an entire city, a wife, and a mistress. The play is set in Ephesus and I predicted the play would b...

Tyler Bosley University of Louisville Anyone who has been on a long trip in a car or a plane - anything over 12 hours - would tell you to sleep for as much of the trip as you possibly can. Doing this helps with jet lag, shortens the trip, and prepares you for the numerous duties that follow once you get to your destination (i.e., handling your bags, customs, and more travel from the airport to your final destination). Of course, it is common sense that the best way to shorten a long plane ride is to sleep. Our journey from Chicago to Shanghai was a little over 13 hours long, and I slept for exactly none of it. Do not ask me why I couldn't fall asleep - I may never know - but I did make it through the flight with a little help from my friends. By friends, I mean the actors in the four television shows and six movies I watched and the two books that I read on that never-ending flight. I started my journey with Friends (2 episodes), then moved on to How I Met You Mother (2 ...

Taryn Mahanes University of Louisville Taryn Mahanes , Class of 2013 Chicago, IL, 10:07 AM As I sit in O’Hare Airport, looking out the window at our gigantic Boeing 777, I can’t quite grasp the fact that this trip has actually begun. I remember my senior year of high school when I was informed that I had received the McConnell Scholarship, which included a five-week trip across the globe to the People’s Republic of China. I dreamed of the trip but never imagined actually reaching this day. Every year, 10 McConnell Scholars - all rising seniors at the University of Louisville - travel to China to study politics, government, and culture. Upon their return, the group spends a day at our summer retreat reviewing their trip. Listening to their presentations and reflections has always been exciting as I knew that I would one day take a similar trip. However, like most things you look forward to in life, the trip always seemed so far away. Unlike the nine other members of m...

By Dr. Gary L. Gregg, McConnell Center Director Sitting in the student common room at St. Clare's, Oxford, its hard to believe its been nine months since we began a journey to explore the influence Great Britain has had on the United States. From the earliest colonization through the four great migrations (Puritans, Quakers, Cavaliers, and people from back country of northern England and Scotland) to Shakespeare and the transformative literary production of the Inklings of Oxford, we explored the heritage of England and how it has influenced the wider western tradition. As I sit here this morning, Zach Barnes by my side reading Joseph Addison's theories on landscape architecture in preparation for our visit to Blenheim Palace, I reflect on how far we have come and yet how far we each have to go in connecting ourselves to the great tradition that found flower in the American experience. From our common tongue in the English language to the inheritance of English liberty our...

By Joel Ben Thomas Class of 2015 Several themes present in Shakespeare's The Tempest relate to opportunity; anything seems possible with the island's magic, at least until one reaches the sea that surrounds it. Events are twisted, the characters wander, and waves never stop crashing against the shore. Another theme present within the play is the struggle to govern a colony and the struggle to maintain order on the island. These two things bring to mind the struggles of emerging democracies around the world as they undergo this intricate transition—especially those in the Middle East (for example, Egypt, Tunisia, and Bahrain). These countries are on the rocky road to transitioning to a democracy from either dictatorships or monarchies, each reflective of their culture. Charges of corruption, wealth distribution gaps, and a lack of personal freedoms have all taken center stage. Democracy isn’t a one-all-end-all solution to these problems; rather, it is the placement of a pr...

The McConnell Scholars Class of 2015 met Sec. of Defense Leon Panetta By Joel Ben Thomas Class of 2015 As my spring semester comes to a close I can’t help but be taken back by everything that has happened to me in the past year. I’ve had the opportunity to converse with some of our nation’s top leaders including Speaker of the House John Boehner and Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta, venture to Williamsburg, Virginia, and Washington, D.C., to discover and engage in our nation’s past and current roots, and lastly I’ve had the opportunity to take part in some truly enlightening seminars with some expert professors on political voting trends, progressivism, and Thomas More’s “Utopia.” These experiences have no doubt shaped my intellect and challenged me to question my own personal political ideology in a way that digs deep into my personal character. This realization excites me, because I know that I’m growing. While this truly excites me, there’s another realization that doesn’t ex...