A Blog on McConnell Center Life

Kevin Grout Class of 2016  This semester, I have had the privilege of interning in the Kentucky State Senate for Senator David Givens (R-KY-09).  Senator Givens represents many counties in Southern Kentucky.  Because of the decorum of the Senate, his official title is the stated above: The Senator from Green.  As a legislative intern, I have had the rare ability to watch bills take shape, work through the committee system, and potentially even become law.  According to Kentucky statue, every other year allows for a thirty day legislative session.  Known as a “short session,” these thirty days don’t have a budget to discuss.  Therefore, the Senate of Kentucky is discussing other issues for only a few months.   The internship has taught me more than I could have ever learned in a classroom, and I am thankful to both the University of Louisville and to Senator Givens for allowing me to participate in this experience. The great Germ...

Aaron Vance Class of 2017 This past college semester has introduced me to new folds of academia and political philosophy, but perhaps, most importantly, directed me to deeper understanding of the philosophical underpinnings responsible for our current system of international relations.   Through my study of the current world system, the problems it faces, and the history of its development, I have unraveled the arguments of leading academics such as Samuel Huntington and Alexander Wendt and even considered the works of anthropologist Scott Atran.   But, here, I turn narrowly to  Thomas C. Walker’s piece, Two Faces of Liberalism: Kant, Paine, and the Question of Intervention. Walker’s piece draws comparisons between Thomas Paine and Immanuel Kant, highlighting how each considers the role of human nature and political intervention. Paine, the liberal stalwart and proclaimed founding father of liberalism, would become commonplace within curricula, propaganda, and the...

Diana Lalata Class of 2017 One of the things I love most about being a college student is knowing that I have the potential to make a change. College campuses are known to be hotspots for social change, as exemplified in the student-run organization SNCC’s leadership during the Civil Rights Movement. As the Diversity Chair for Student Activities Board, I am able to utilize my leadership wisely to continue the mission of full integration across racial barriers. In light of Black History Month, my committee and I planned an event to bring awareness to the ongoing racial stereotypes in the 21 st century, respectively called “Omit the Silence.” My committee and I took greyscale photos of ourselves posed with a single piece of duct tape across our mouths with a single statement that defied a common stereotype based off personal experiences. The pictures were solely made as part of our promotion for the upcoming event, but they soon evolved into a sort of social movement, with student...

Alicia Humphrey Class of 2017 It seems like I was on the fast track to law school from the moment I was born. I remember reciting the Preamble to my dad as I sat on his knee, learning about the Supreme Court justices, and memorizing the worn flashcards of the U.S. Presidents that he used to quiz me with. When we all sat down for dinner, my family would engage me in debates about current hot-button political questions, and I was always extremely vocal, opinionated, and articulate in my firmly-held beliefs (much to their delight). In high school, I thrived in political activities like Student Government and Mock Trial. I loved my country and was passionate about its history and law code. Driven by this patriotism, my career goals were guided by a never-ceasing desire to continue to make the United States an incredible place to live for everyone, just as the Framers desired. Naturally, many of the adults in my life hoped I would become a lawyer to achieve these goals. However, you c...

Jeremy Ball Class of 2017 This past February I was given the amazing opportunity to travel to Cambridge for Harvard Kennedy School’s Public Policy and Leadership Conference. After advancing through the application process to be 1 of 53 students selected nationwide, I was welcome to Harvard’s campus for one of the most rewarding experiences I have been a part of since beginning college. While on campus, for the first time, I was introduced to the idea of going to graduate school to obtain a Masters in Public Policy (MPP), and for the first time, the idea of attending law school wasn’t so certain. My time at the Kennedy School truly opened up my eyes to the different possibilities for students interested in working in the government, and to what specific fields I may want to specialize in my work. There’s no doubt in my mind I want to be involved in the political process in some way, whether it’s law or working in DC. However, the idea of learning the skills to write and implem...

Hannah Wilson Class of 2017 In the summer, I am going away. I do not yet know what that means. I plan to leave and stay, simultaneously, do you understand? I may rendition "Eat. Pray. Love. But without the praying and without the loving and maybe without the eating. I fear Africa won't be Africa enough. Africa speaks volumes of solitude, with its large, open deserts and grasslands and jungles so many places to lose oneself, to not be known, to not be known. We want to be understood without being known. We want to be loved without being exposed. Foolish, we are, thinking everyone can be some kind of Africa. Hannah Wilson is a sophomore McConnell Scholar at the University of Louisville. She studies philosophy, women and gender studies, and political science. 

Katie Cambron Class of 2016 Now that I have reached the ripe old age of 21, as I reflect on my past I become more appreciative of the simple things from my childhood. What I once took for granted are now mere necessities to get through life.  The following are things I loved in my younger years that take on a whole new meaning in adulthood:   Snow days:  Ahhh, every student’s dream.  Give the gift of a snow day and you have basically given the world, no matter what age the recipient may be.  As a child a snow day presents valuable time for snowman building, sledding, and cartoon watching.  Fast forward to college and the excitement is still the same, except it means a mental health vacation and catching up on every assignment you’ve put off for a week.  Yet they still have one chief similarity: snow cream.  Let’s be honest, that never gets old or less delicious. PB&J:  This was once a staple in my Barbie lunch box Monday thro...

Travis Wilson Class of 2016 Over the last several years Helping Hands Serving Hearts has been a great success.  We have been able to help upwards of 90 different senior citizens in the Louisville Metro area with various small projects around their homes in order to make their lives safer and easier.  Through this program we have had the privilege of working with the staff of numerous professional senior living organizations such as Elderserve, MD2U, Highland Community Ministries, and several others who notify us of senior citizens in need of assistance.  With the help of countless volunteers and a talented executive board including fellow McConnell Scholars Mary Elizabeth Young, Philip Moore and rising campus leader Allen Rakotoniaina, helping hands has become a consistent resource for providing senior citizens with free assistance with small projects around their home.   One of my favorite memories from my time as leader of this organization was when we wer...