We hope you enjoy these top news stories about TFAS activities, alumni and events this week. Please visit us on social media for additional up-to-the-moment TFAS news and information and sign up for our newsletter to receive weekly updates.
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Inaugural NYC Alumni Lecture Explores How Stories Can Win the Battle of Ideas
As support for socialism continues to rise and free markets come under attack, TFAS alumni gathered in New York for an engaging discussion on how human and data-driven stories can help liberty win the battle of ideas.
Professor Brian Brenberg of The King’s College and TFAS Senior Scholar Dr. Donald J. Boudreaux of George Mason University headlined the inaugural “Liberty + the Future” lecture at the Harvard Club in New York City on Jan. 23.
Professor Brenberg argued that young people are not attracted to socialism because they are hearing compelling economic arguments, but rather because supporters of socialism are very good at creating and disseminating stories that cast capitalists in the role of the bad guy.
“Capitalism is full of amazing stories, it generates amazing stories of problems solved, of human flourishing, of opportunity created, of lives extended – it’s all over the place,” said Brenberg.
Dr. Boudreaux followed by sharing his passion for trade and explored how data-driven storytelling can combat the false narrative of the “evils” of globalization and tell the positive impact of free markets.
The series is made possible through the generosity of the Achelis and Bodman Foundation. Their gift, made in support of our 50th Anniversary Liberty + Leadership Campaign initiative to engage and mobilize the global TFAS alumni network, allows alumni leaders to continue their education in liberty.
Learn more and see highlights from the event at TFAS.org/NYCJan20.
TFAS Alumni Share Career Advice with Capital Semester Students During Panel Discussion
Continuing the TFAS legacy of paying it forward, several recent alumni gave back by sharing advice with TFAS Capital Semester students during the Spring 2020 Young Alumni Panel.
Alumna Madison Beasley ’18 kicked off the discussion by sharing how her experience with TFAS allowed her to discover a passion for government service and led her to a role at the Department of Justice.
“TFAS really helped me figure out what I want to do in life,” she said. “You might already have your mind made up, but this experience exposes you to so many opportunities you might not have considered before.”
With only a few weeks of the spring program underway, Capital Semester student Shannon McSkimming ’20 from Flinders University in Australia said the discussion encouraged her to be open-minded to new opportunities throughout the semester.
“My biggest takeaway from tonight’s discussion was that it’s important to be open to every new experience,” she said. “You never know who you’re going to meet or what opportunity you’ll find here in D.C.”
Learn more about the event and our alumni volunteers at TFAS.org/spring20alumni.
Post Of The Week
TFAS students experience Chilean culture at the annual “Traditional Chilean Lunch” event at TFAS Santiago 2020, complete with traditional cuisine, history and dance.
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My experience in Santiago with TFAS and UANDES provided me with an inspiring educational and intercultural experience that I will never forget…The open dialogue and discussions facilitated by the thought-provoking lectures set up a platform for free expression of ideas and perspectives… The interactions and relationships I developed with the variety of international participants challenged me to grow and strengthen my own understandings.” – Francesca McCallister ’18, ’20, Purdue University
Quick Links
TFAS supporter Nancy Cline was honored with the Sonoma Valley Hospital Foundation’s Pulse Award, for her significant contributions to the community through volunteerism, community involvement and philanthropy.
Robby Soave, Novak ’17, opines for Reason on the introduction of the 1619 Project to primary and secondary education systems.
Amber Phillips ’07 shares an analysis from Monday’s Senate impeachment trial for The Washington Post.
Michael Brendan Dougherty, Novak ’09, opines for National Review with predictions for the 2020 Democratic nomination.
Ryan Lovelace, Novak ’17, reports for The Washington Times on bipartisan legislation passed to protect religious institutions.
Ron Paul Institute Executive Director Daniel McAdams, Novak ’98, opines on the “hypocrisy” of the U.S. government’s sanctions on Iran.
TFAS’s newly-launched Venezuela campus speaker series, “Venezuela: My Story…Your Future?,” is making headlines in 2020. In the month of January, political activists Jorge Galicia and Andrés Guilarte were featured in several news outlets including live interviews on “Morning Answer” with TFAS alumnus Dan Proft ’93 and Amy Jacobson, “Ground Truth” with Sam Faddis and “America, Can we Talk?” with Debbie Georgatos. Their feature in The College Fix was the site’s most read story so far in 2020, and in an op-ed for International Policy Digest, the two compared recent events in France to the downfall of socialist Venezuela.
TFAS launched the campus series in October 2019, and in just four months, Guilarte and Galicia have spoken to more than 500 students and have more than 40 confirmed or pending new upcoming lectures. Learn more about the series at TFAS.org/Venezuela.
Firas Maksad ’01 reports on concerns that the new Lebanese government brings Lebanon closer to Iran for ForeignPolicy.com.
Stephanie Slade, Novak ’15, writes on the relationship between Catholicism and alcohol for America Magazine.
Kat Timpf, Novak ’12, opines for National Review on Elizabeth Warren’s affordable college for all plan.
Matthew Walther, Novak ’16, opines for The Week on Bernie Sanders’ potential to gain the Democratic nomination.
TFAS is accepting applications for its 2020 TFAS Summer Law Fellowship in Washington, D.C. The intensive nine-week program aims to prepare law students to defend the values and ideals of a free society rooted in individual liberty, limited government, free enterprise and constitutional originalism. Those selected to participate in the Fellowship will receive a full scholarship covering tuition, housing and program fees. Awards are highly selective – only 25 students will be selected to participate each year. The final application deadline is Wednesday, Feb. 5. Please share this opportunity with law students in your network. Learn more at TFAS.org/Law.
Kenneth R. Rosen, Novak ’18, is now a senior editor and Italy correspondent for Newsweek. In his first article at his new post, Rosen reports on the recent U.S. Embassy attack in Baghdad. Previously, he was a reporter for The New York Times.
Joel Pollak, Novak ’18, writes for Breitbart News on 75th anniversary of Auschwitz liberation.
Peter Suderman, Novak ’10, opines for Reason on the impact of Bernie Sanders’ wealth tax on workers.
Ryan Lovelace, Novak ’17, reports for the Washington Times on highest lobbying spending in nearly a decade.
Tim Carney, Novak ’03, opines for Washington Examiner on Republican Senators’ role in impeachment trials.
Jean Schindler ’06 was named a member of the Advisory Council for the US-Europe Alliance, “a new organization dedicated to educating Americans about the enduring importance of the strategic and economic alliance between the U.S. and Europe.”
Rohini Kosoglu ’05 is a Spring 2020 Resident Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School Institute of Politics.
Robert Bellafiore, PPF ’19, critiques Daniel Markovits’s new book “The Meritocracy Trap,” for The American Conservative.
Tanja Porčnik, ’04, ’05, PPF ’07, writes for The Policy Times on India ranking 108th on personal freedom in the Human Freedom Index.