Day Two

Today was the first day of actual classes.  This is the feeling-out period.  Many of us were thinking the same thing as we walked into Healy 103... "What does the professor expect of me?  Is it safe to speak up?  Did I understand the material correctly?" and my personal fear "If I speak up, am I going to make myself look stupid?"  But we quickly learned that our professors are there to engage in intellectual discourse.  If they disagree with our assertion, then they will question or respond as such.  But the feeling remains that I am free to share a reasonable opinion without fear of belittlement.

Immediately you learned your classmates tendencies in the classroom.  We found the confident students who had a lot of thoughts and answers to share with the class.  We found the passionate students who quickly addressed issues or misrepresentations.  We found the philosophical students who enjoyed the discussion about more abstract ideas, and we found their counterparts who focus on the facts of the text itself.  All in all, I walked away with a sense of relief that I can hold my own in lecture and discussion.  I may not be able to formally debate many others, but I can follow along without a cloud of confusion circulating in my brain.

Today's topic was the Foundations of American Constitutionalism, an appropriate subject since it also serves as the title of our class.  In the midst of our discussion of what is foundationalism and what makes up constitutions and constitutionalism, Dr. Belz put forth a proposition.  He stated, "A constitutional foundation rightly conceived and properly executed is security against nihilism on politics and society."  While one could argue the definition of terms in the proposition, the idea that he wanted us to take away was that the statement in quotes is a PROPOSITION, and you treat a proposition by removing the quotes, debating the merits and the qualifications involved, and work to prove it as a true or false statement.  While the previous quote may be read as OPINION, removing the quotes and raising the discourse to the level of knowledge using fact makes it a proposition that can be argued.  If only we would treat opinions with the same dignity, how much better would the world be.

For you non-history/political science people, here are my non-class activities and thoughts:
     -I took a walk with another student down to the C&O canal that runs beside Georgetown.  This canal runs from the Chesapeake to the Ohio River (hence the name) and features some beautiful scenery and walking trails.  It is below the street level Canal Road, and gives a nice change of scenery.
     -The Tombs is one of Georgetown's famous bars.  The staircase beyond the street door take you down to a basement level where the bar and restaurant is.  The Tombs Ale on tap is a good beer.  It's a darker ale similar to a Sam Adams, without all the hops.  If you find yourself in Georgetown, visit here.
     -The food in Georgetown's Leo's Dining Hall is pretty good.  Spaghetti and meatballs were on the menu for lunch and dinner featured fried chicken and ribs.  I will be gaining weight eating 3 meals in the dining hall.

Meet the Fellows: Cindy Burgett teaches 8th Grade Civics in Fairfax County, Virginia.  She has a passion for the subject that has kept her at the middle school level.  She runs the We The People Club for her school, and has competed at the State Competition, finishing 2nd in the state in both of her years of competing.  She is studying for her Masters in History at George Mason University, and is attending the Summer Institute this year even though she just received the Fellowship this past April (unlike most of the rest of us who are in the 2011 class).

TOMORROW: A report on our 3 hour walking tour of Arlington National Cemetery with Professor Smith from American University.