Big Tent Conservatism at UT-Austin

As I said, EVERYTHING is BIGGER in Texas... including the big tent of the conservative movement. Some campuses I go to seem to have conservatives that are social conservatives, while others are more libertarian, still others more faith-based, some community based, and others more College Republican types.

At UT-Austin, they had it all, and all these elements showed up for the first-ever "Get to Know ISI" Soiree. It was a return to all the good things ISI has done throughout our 53-year history. I felt a little bit of Vic Milione in the room, as I talked to the students about why they should get involved with ISI.

I have to give complete gratitude to our great ISI Campus Representative, Clark Patterson. He pulled all these students out for the event. About 30 people came, we served pizza and soft drinks (and cookies) and it was held in a large lecture hall, with 2 huge jumbo screens, and the technology was perfect for showing the ISI history video and putting the ISI website up on the screen to go through it. (yes, even the jumbo screens in this large classroom are BIGGER in TEXAS). It was ideal. We even dimmed the lights to play the video. I couldn't have asked for a better venue and a better mix of students.

There were the libertarian group, which basically does the reading group type thing already and may in fact get more involved with reading ISI Books titles. There were College Republicans, not just from UT-Austin, but also from Texas State (about 20 miles away). There were a few that weren't politically inclined, but are involved in service organizations. And another student that leads a free-market environmentalist group on campus.

At the end of the night, we held a "conservative trivia contest" which was fun and allowed us to give away about 15 free ISI Books. And, everyone walked away with a free copy of Harvey Mansfield's "Student's Guide to Political Philosophy". We also officially signed up 26 new ISI members. I should add: 26 very excited new members. Hopefully we even inspired some of them to get more involved in Contumacy, the CN paper that is getting back up and running again.

I had great conversations at the end of the night with Clark and Austin, who are both involved with Contumacy and who are both hoping that this "Get to Know ISI" soiree didn't just get these kids excited about ISI alone, but also about working together more on campus. Clark pulled together all the elements that have made the conservative movement so successful. I think that's ultimately key to making a movement on campus successful. Go Longhorns Go.

I'm in Austin, Texas!

This is only my second time ever to the state of Texas, and my first visit ever to anyplace outside of Dallas. You'll see my "itinerary" in my previous post for the next week. But, as for today, my first stop is Austin, Texas. I grabbed some Chipotle this afternoon and drove around only a smart part of the University of Texas-Austin and the downtown Austin area, where I saw yet another state capital building!

UT-Austin is the largest school in the country, by population of students, with an enrollment of over 50,000 students! THE LARGEST. So the motto holds true: EVERYTHING is BIGGER in Texas.

Tonight, with one of our ISI Campus Representatives at UT-Austin, I'll be host to the FIRST EVER "Get to Know ISI" Soiree. We'll have pizza, drinks, ISI Books and brochures, some mingling, the playing of the ISI history video, and a conservative trivia contest. And, hopefully, a lot more new ISI members!

Prepping for Texas and Oklahoma

I am getting ready to depart on another 10-day trip. This time, I'll be in Texas, Oklahoma, then from there to DC for a couple days before I head back home to Delaware.

My general schedule is as follows:

March 29: "Get to Know ISI" soiree at UT-Austin
March 30: Lunch with ISI Group at Texas A&M in College Station, TX
March 30: Dinner with ISI Group at Baylor University in Waco, TX
March 31: Drive to Dallas for the Young Conservatives of Texas State Convention
April 1-2: YCT State convention continues all weekend in Dallas
April 3: "Get to Know ISI" soiree at the University of Dallas with students from up to 6 schools in the area attending
April 4: Lunch with new ISI Group at Oklahoma Christian University in Oklahoma City, OK
April 4: "Get to Know ISI" soiree at the University of Oklahoma in Norman, OK
April 5: Lunch with new ISI Group at Tulsa University in Tulsa, OK
April 5: Attending College Republicans meeting at Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, OK
April 6: Flying from Oklahoma City to BWI
April 6-7: Attending first ever "Students for Academic Freedom" conference in D.C.
April 8: Returning back to Delaware

South Bend doesn't want me...

Well, the news came today... I didn't get into Notre Dame. Honestly, I wasn't expecting to. It's a great history department with a lot of applicants and they only accept about 8-10 students each year. I thought their department was a great fit for my research interests, but it wasn't meant to be. This might indeed be a sign that academic life is very competitive, so I will consider my options in the next year or two, but I might also be hanging my hat up on moving forward with a Ph.D.

I'm certainly not looking at this rejection letter with negativity, however. I am having a great life, I have a great job, I have some of the best experiences someone my age can possibly enjoy, and I live in the best country in the world, at perhaps one of the most exciting (yet volatile) periods of history - and any true historian can certainly appreciate that. And, my current job allows me to see so many parts of this country and meet so many interesting people. It's certainly a time of my life I will always be able to reflect back upon... but why reflect back when things just keep rolling?

Over the next few weeks, I'll most likely be making big decisions based on this decision. Getting accepted into the University of Notre Dame would have made the next 4-5 years of my life easy: I would have been studying hard at Notre Dame and living in South Bend, Indiana. The good news is I don't have to freeze my ass off in South Bend, Indiana, arguably one of the coldest places in the country! So... being originally from Florida, I am almost relieved about that. But, now the next life decision will be up to some deep reflection about what path I want to take next.

I was telling someone recently that today, us young people in this country, have so many options open to us. SO MANY! Sometimes all these options make life a bit more confusing or at least perplexing, and sometimes I wonder if so many options is a good thing? Well, when you like your options, it certainly is... and I like my options. The "worst" choice I make still won't be a bad choice at all.

Anxiety building... the wait continues...

Most people that know me and that know I've applied for Ph.D. work at the University of Notre Dame have been asking... "So, did you get in yet?" My typical response over the last month has been, "I'm supposed to hear by March 15." Well, it's March 16th, and I haven't heard. But, I just called them up...

AND???

Well, they say the letters are in process over at the graduate school office and I should hear either by the weekend or the early part of next week... if I don't hear by early next week they said I should call back... ok, fair enough... but the wait continues... and the anxiety keeps building... I'll keep everyone posted.

"Good Fellowship"

Tonight, I decided to take an extra few hours out of my weekend to venture up to the Princeton campus, again. I have to say, it's probably my favorite campus (or at least in the top 3). I came up here to visit with Andrew Matthews and his ISI Group that publishes the "Journal of Christian perspective," Revisions. It's a fantastic journal and I'm proud to have it associated with ISI. There are a lot of positive things happening for conservatives and Christians here on the Princeton campus and this is certainly an example.

My evening began with a 2 hour-plus dinner with Andrew and four others (2 students, 2 faculty). They are all involved with Revisions and with Manna, a Christian organization at Princeton. Great people, good company... it's exciting. We talked about a lot of things, from Christian thought to Christianity and the culture, and of course all things ISI. I'm excited to read their next issue.

After that was over, Andrew and I peeked into ISI's Liberty Fund colloquia, where about 15 students and a couple professors were partaking in the hospitality of an ISI reception. Many great conversations were had, as usual and I was able to acquaint with several students I already know well, and meet plenty of others that I had not yet had the chance to meet. The Liberty Fund colloquias bring together students from a variety of places in this country. They are 3-day weekends where the students truly engage in intellectual thought on a particular theme of the weekend. This colloquia's theme is "Religious Liberty, Toleration and the Reformation." I'm not really allowed into any of it, but I was able to meet up with these students for the reception and then about 6 of us went out for a couple hours afterwards.

It was a fun time had where conservative intellectuals such as ourselves (if I may include myself into that "intellectual" crowd) could partake in good conversation and go out and have a fun time. Tonight, some of these students reminded me how grateful I should be to ISI to provide me with so many of these great experiences to meet these incredible, gifted people and spend a Friday night on the town with them and not consider it "work." ISI has the networking capability to do this and I think the way ISI brings people together is one of the best assets of our organization for them and for me. As Andrew told me at the end of the night, it was a great night of "good fellowship." I couldn't agree more.

Abortion Ban Legislation in South Dakota

South Dakota Governor Mike Rounds signed legislation Monday that would ban most abortions in South Dakota, a law he acknowledged would be tied up in court for years while the state challenges the 1973 U.S. Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion.

The governor issued a written statement saying he expected a lengthy legal battle over the law, which, he said, would not take effect unless the U.S. Supreme Court upheld it.

"In the history of the world, the true test of a civilization is how well people treat the most vulnerable and most helpless in their society. The sponsors and supporters of this bill believe that abortion is wrong because unborn children are the most vulnerable and most helpless persons in our society. I agree with them," Rounds said in the statement.

Well said - let the fight continue. Truth and Justice are ultimately on our side.

Reagan's Children Blog

I was recently invited to join a new blog called Reagan's Children Blog. This blog's motto is "Taking Back the City on the Hill." I'm blogging with some other really great young conservatives, led by Hans Zeiger. I've already posted twice, and I look forward to posting about once a week. Most of my postings will be centered around the issues of higher education.

Working Out with Condoleezza

I told you she was hot! And now we know why. Check out the full video that features Condy working out, sweating it up, burning some calories, staying in shape, and looking good. We send the world a representative through the Secretary of State position, and this is who we send. Fantastic!

She's single, just over 50, and perhaps the most powerful woman in the world. Hey, I'm single, 28, and I can travel. And, she's inspired me to keep up the workouts. If she can find time to stay in shape, anyone can!

Insights from Ronald Reagan

I have recently been reading yet another biography about President Ronald Reagan -- this one is from the eyes of one of his young speechwriters, Peter Robinson. In How Ronald Reagan Changed My Life, Robinson offers a first-hand look into the man who changed the history of the twentieth century. In ten chapters, Robinson delivers about ten major insights into Reagan's personality and how Reagan's outlook on life became the outlook which ultimately shaped his approach to policy.

In Chapter 5, Robinson posits Reagan as having the outlook of your average American opposed to the outlook of an educated technocrat elite, or as Robinson simply puts it, "the experts." During Robinson's own time at Dartmouth, he watched the university turn to "experts" to define policy and the university's continued turn toward "specialization" of fields. In the past half-century in particular, universities claim they are turning out more "sophisticated", "specialized" "professionals" who will each specialize in one area of society. Sound Marxist to you?

Robinson, like myself, was uneasy about this while he was in college and after he observed an "expert" like Carter mishandle the economy, the Cold War, and America's foreign policy, he saw the upside to having someone like Reagan, who never claimed to be an expert, but had a sharp and broad knowledge of the things that count.

On page 133 of his book, Robinson grasps one of the important perspectives he learned from Reagan: "Our history and ideals are accessible to anyone -- that, I realize now, was one of Ronald Reagan's most important insights." Reflecting on the knowledge of American history he thinks everyone can have (and anyone can have), Robinson continues, "The accessibility of the American story -- the way you can almost touch it -- represents a central portion of our inheritance, right along with self-government and the Bill of Rights. Ronald Reagan enabled me to see that."

Reagan related to the American people because the American people and our history are accessible. Some call Reagan a "populist" in this sense -- a populist is a leader who can relate to the common man. This doesn't mean that Reagan was a "dunce" or that the common American is a dunce. It simply means that there are shared values that most Americans relate to based on our shared history -- and this history is relatively short, yet worth defending, because it is the most important experiment perhaps in human history. Ronald Reagan understood that and he communicated that message effectively to the American people and to those living behind the Iron Curtain.

As Robinson explains it, it doesn't take an Ivy-League expert to be a great leader, anyone can do it: "You don't have to be an expert to participate in American life. All you have to do is read some history, follow the news -- and think for yourself. You have a head. Use it."

If only college presidents could communicate that message to the students on their campuses. You don't need to be an expert in a specialized field. You just need to equip yourself to learn, to learn to think, and to learn to think on your own.