A Blog on McConnell Center Life

By Austin Dillon   I remember my eighth grade Sunday school teacher telling our class, “There are no coincidences.” He taught us that even what seem like random occurrences can be evidence of divine guidance working in our lives. After reflecting upon where I am and how I got here, I would have to be oblivious not to notice all the small “coincidences” that created the skills, the opportunities, and the dreams it took to propel me to where I am. But, as my teacher said, these instances are not coincidences at all; rather, they are the fingerprints of God left upon the unfinished project that is my life’s purpose. Before high school, I was confident that I wanted to become a research oncologist (well, as confident as a middle school student could be). I had dreamt the same dream since I was about four years old. I was certain that I was meant to impact the world of medicine. Flash forward six years and here I sit, writing a blog for the McConnell Sch...

FOR YOUR BOOKSHELF | Boethius’s The Consolation of Philosophy   (Oxford World Classics, 2008)  When we think of things that provide consolation, we generally think of a close confidant, our faith, the comfort lurking beneath the lid of a pint of our favorite ice cream, the lyrics of our favorite song, or the euphoric feeling after a tough workout (although some of us may be seeking consolation  because of  the gym, rather than in it). Regardless of what it may be, we all have something we turn to—for better or worse—to provide comfort during times of despair. I’d wager though, that for nearly all of us, philosophy does not rank high on this list. It is for this reason I highly recommend Boethius’s  The Consolation of Philosophy.  Born near the end of the Western Roman Empire, Anicius Manlius Severinus Boethius (Around  480 A.D.-524 A.D.) was a vital figure in the preservation and translation of ancient philosophy to the Middle Age...

By Will Randolph A long distance relationship isn't really that unusual nowadays, especially for college students. Social media, FaceTime, Snapchat, and texting have all made communication across vast distances a problem that can be solved in seconds. With communication no longer an issue, long-distance relationships shouldn't be that hard to maintain. And as one half of such a relationship, I can say that they really aren't. . . At least, the communication part isn't. There are of course, other aspects of a relationship that are just as necessary as communication. Quality time is one, and quality time is hard to replicate with a screen. That's one reason why it is so important to plan and find time to sit down face-to-face with a long distance partner. For my girlfriend and I, that means meeting in the middle. I go to school in Louisville (a fact the reader of this McConnell Center blog probably knew already), but my girlfriend goes to school in Bowling G...