The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind Reflection

On October 7th at 7pm, I attended the 2015 Hendersen Lecture “Crime and Democracy in Africa.” As a recipient of an award given by the Hendersen family, Mrs. Shannon I. Smithley was given the opportunity to present her research to a room mainly filled with fellow professors and a small number of students. Smithley, the Associate Professor of Political Science, presented a lecture lasting approximately forty minutes followed by twenty-minute Q & A session in the Witherspoon Maple Rooms of McKelvey Campus Center. The venue contained about 30-40 people and was three-quarters full. After listening to Smithley’s lecture, I believe connections can be made between the presented information and Harold Shapiro’s “Liberal Education, Moral Education.”

I specifically chose this event because we read The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind by William Kamkwamba in class, and I was curious if Malawi or anything else relating to this book would be mentioned in the lecture. My curiosity was verified because Smithley's data varied over many countries, including Malawi, so I found it easier to relate what she was saying to what I have learned. Also, as a student, I was able to sit amongst a group of professors who were there to support one of their colleagues. It was a reminder to me of how lucky I am to be going to a college where the staff and students are interconnected and everyone supports each other. This is one of the most valuable components of a liberal arts