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By Luke Taylor
At 2247 South Preston Street, Louisville KY 40217 lies one of Louisville’s most impactful institutions. It is no University of Louisville satellite building or historical structure. It is no formal performing arts venue or place of worship, but rather a singular link in a chain of local Latin-American restaurants: El Tarasco. It is a common preference for UofL registered student organizations’ percentage nights, basketball game nights, and birthday celebrations. I myself have celebrated both of my birthdays here since I have started college and is often a point of interest on my longer runs. While others may disagree, I am proud to say that I believe I have gained “regular” status at El Tarasco.
As ridiculous as it may seem, I have always wanted to be a “regular,” a level of involvement in which as soon as I open my mouth to speak, the listener already knows what I am going to say. It never really mattered to me where this achievement was realized, but a “Seinfeld” style diner or “Friends”-esque coffee shop usually came to mind. Maria, the owner and something of a legend among UofL students, knows my order by heart: chicken enchiladas de mole. While this development may seem like the point of exaggerated achievement, it wasn’t until I got a haircut that my goal was realized. Recently, I shaved my head for raiseRED Dance Marathon’s “Buzz for a Cure” campaign against pediatric cancer and blood disorders. Within a week of my philanthropic permutation, I visited El Tarasco and all of the staff still recognized me. For reference, I usually have longer, curly hair and my hair had been reduced to a short buzz-cut. I have eaten at El Tarasco after most of my biggest highs and lows, including receiving my dream college job offer and less than satisfactory exam grades and in that moment all of those felt like they meant so much more.
While this might all sound like an ode to my favorite Latin-American restaurant, this regular sense of elevated membership stretches far beyond a college hang out spot. There is something to be said about not only being a “regular,” of an entity, but a much broader sense of belonging. Personally, this has looked like being welcomed into my fraternity’s chapter house by seniors’ open arms as a freshman. This semester, it has been pronounced with being the only college intern at my place of work, Norton Children’s Hospital Foundation, and actively contributing to the lunchtime conversation amongst my 20+ bosses and coworkers. However, most prominently it has shone through the shelves of the Ekstrom library at the McConnell Center. As a late addition to the program, I was overwhelmed with an unreasonable fear that I simply would never belong despite being best friends and roommates with current scholars. Of course, this paranoia was irrational, and while still a work in progress, over the past year I have felt like I have developed a sense of my own within the Center. The Center’s lounge is my preferred place to study, the McConnell staff regularly check in on me, and of course I must highlight the mid-afternoon pick-me-up snack. My anxiety before seminars has been replaced with confidence and an urge to listen rather than a needless self-made urgency to ask the perfect question. I don’t think it is too far-fetched to say that I am now a “regular,” McConnell Scholar.
While I did say that my goal of being regular had been reached, I think and hope this quest for belonging never dies. At present, I am working to be a regular at a local church and some sort of volunteering opportunity, such as the Roald McDonald House or Louisville Metro Animal Services. Belonging is a key component of a sense of purpose, and elevating membership only deepens my drive, passion, and existence.
Luke Taylor is a McConnell Scholar at the University of Louisville in the class of 2027. He is studying biology and political science on a pre-dental track.