Thomas, Whitlock invited to attend West Point Academy conference

(Oct. 20, 2014) LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Two McConnell Scholars will attend a four-day conference with other civilian student delegates and West Point cadets on "The Politics and Policy of Crisis Management."
Thomas, Whitlock invited to attend West Point Academy conference

Two McConnell Scholars have been invited to participate in West Point Academy’s Student Council on U.S. Affairs (SCUSA) next month.

Seniors Joel Ben Thomas and Benjamin Whitlock will attend the Nov. 12-15 conference in New York. The conference, entitled “The Politics and Policy of Crisis Management,” will facilitate interaction and constructive discussion between civilian student delegates and West Point cadets on U.S. challenges in an increasingly interconnected global society. SCUSA delegates will attend panel discussions, hear from national leaders and develop policy recommendations covering regional and topical issues. The top policy recommendation memo will be published by the Undergraduate Journal of Social Sciences.

“I’m excited to take part in a seminar on nuclear proliferation in the Middle East and Iran and how that affects power relations in that region and across the globe,” Thomas said, noting that his undergraduate travels to the Gulf Region and northern Africa will help bring a fresh perspective to the conversation.

“It is an honor to be selected, and I hope to hone the leadership skills that I have already developed in the McConnell Center,” Whitlock added.

Thomas is studying political science, anthropology and Middle Eastern and Islamic studies at the University of Louisville. He is a member of the Sigma Chi fraternity and the World Affairs Council of Kentucky and Southern Indiana. He is presently interning for the World Trade Center of Kentucky.

Whitlock is studying political science and history at UofL, where he is the student coordinator for the university’s legislative intern program. Last summer, Whitlock was the student assistant for the McConnell Center’s Strategic Broadening Seminar with 30 U.S. Army soldiers. He is also a park ranger for the Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Park.