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.
TFAS Welcomes Capital Semester Spring Class into Alumni Network
TFAS welcomed 10 young leaders into the TFAS Alumni Network during our Spring 2019 Capital Semester Closing Ceremony on May 2, 2019. After 15 weeks of living, learning and interning in the nation’s capital, the students came together to celebrate a semester well spent and reflect on the lessons learned.
“Now, as TFAS alumni, and emerging leaders for free societies, it is our responsibility to never forget the legacies of those who came before us, nor lose sight of the responsibilities we have to those who will come after us,” said Jack Naismith ’19, an international relations student at Flinders University in Australia. Naismith was selected to deliver testimonial remarks, highlighting the TFAS experience he and his peers enjoyed during the semester.
TFAS alumnus Jeff Phillips ’07, a country manager at the U.S. Trade and Development Agency, TFAS Academic Director Dr. Anne Bradley, President Roger Ream and Chairman Randal Teague also delivered remarks to the students, each reminding them that this is only the beginning of their TFAS Journey.
Read full coverage of the Closing Ceremony at TFAS.org/CSS19.
President Ream Talks Importance of Economic Literacy in Washington Examiner
TFAS President Roger Ream ’76 warns of the “storm clouds on the economic horizon” in an op-ed published by the Washington Examiner. “A troubling lack of basic economic literacy in our politics threatens the long-term health and growth of the world’s most dynamic economy,” said Ream.
Taking aim at policies on both sides of the aisle – such as President Trump’s tariffs, Rep. Ocasio-Cortez’s Green New Deal and minimum wage hikes – Ream warns of the long-term consequences of economic regulations and touts the importance of educational programs like TFAS in improving economic literacy to foster a more informed electorate.
“Clearly, politicians are not going to raise the bar and start promoting sound economic thinking unless voters demand it … Young leaders who learn about markets and incentives have a greater understanding of the benefits of a free market economy. They’re also better equipped to assess policy proposals coming forth from their elected officials, whether it be Trump or Ocasio-Cortez.” Read President Ream’s full op-ed in the Washington Examiner.
High School Teachers Explore International Trade Issues
On May 3, more than two dozen high school teachers gathered in New York City for a one-day seminar on international trade. The seminar was co-sponsored by TFAS’s high school division, the Foundation for Teaching Economics (FTE), and the American Institute for Economic Research (AIER).
The goal of the program was to enrich classroom teaching on issues related to international trade. Through presentations and demonstrations of classroom activities, teachers learned about the basics of international trade and explored topics such as tariffs and trade wars. Teaching the seminar were FTE professor Don Fell, FTE mentor teacher Alice Temnick and AIER Research Fellow Peter Earle.
Teachers left the seminar with an understanding of how important international trade is to living standards in developed countries and how tariffs and other barriers to trade affect consumers.
This seminar is one of several programs that are offered nationwide, giving high school teachers the choice of multiple dates and locations. This summer, FTE is offering week-long programs for teachers in Dallas; Atlanta; St. Louis; New York; Cleveland; Winston-Salem, North Carolina; and Berkeley, California. Space is still available at select locations. For more information or to register, visit FTE.org.
TFAS Chairman Pens Memoir on Family History
Those who delve into genealogy do so for many reasons. For some, it’s curiosity about their ancestors. For others, it’s the love of history, a desire to honor members of their family or a chance to learn more about themselves.
For TFAS Chairman Randal Teague, researching his family’s history has led to the publication of a new memoir called, “Families: Where We Each Begin.” The book project began by Teague subjecting “family lore and legend to the harsh scrutiny of research.” In the book, Teague chronicles his journey from “relatively humble beginnings” to a successful career in international law, higher education and national politics.
Teague says researching and writing the book expanded his knowledge of himself, helped recover lost facts and returned “loved ones long passed … to his daily thoughts and evening dreams.”
Relevant to anyone curious about their roots, the book describes how to pass along knowledge about one’s ancestors to the current and future generations of the family. Teague says, “Every family needs its history and here’s a blueprint on why and how to know yours.”
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QUICK LINKS
Tim Carney, Novak ’03, explores themes of community and tribalism in fellow alumnus Michael Brendan Dougherty’s, Novak ’09, new book, “My Father Left Me Ireland.” Read Carney’s review in the Washington Examiner.
Meet the 2019 D.C. Summer program assistants on our District GPS Blog, a space for potential and incoming students to learn about the D.C. summer experience.
Blake Hesch ’17 credits his summer with TFAS as sparking an interest in politics, media and public service in a profile for the Southbend Tribune.
John Lettieri ’03, PPF ’08, discusses the “nation’s shrinking workforce” on C-SPAN’s Washington Journal.
Tanja Porčnik ’04, ’05, PPF ’07, is now a senior fellow at the Fraser Institute.
Brian Katz ’05, a visiting fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) discusses security in Syria and the Middle East during a policy forum hosted by the Center for a New American Security (CNAS). You can watch Katz’s panel on C-SPAN.
Rachel Lu, Novak ’15, reviews fellow alumnus Tim Carney’s, Novak ’03, book “Alienated America” for the Law and Liberty blog.
Colleen Carroll Campbell, Novak ’00, is going on tour to showcase her latest book, “Heart of Perfection.” Visit her website to learn more and register for stops in St. Louis, Philadephia, D.C., Baltimore and Alexandria.