Practically Idealistic
blog The title for this blog originated with use of the term “practical idealist”
in this 1996 opinion piece, which asked: “To what kind of work should a practical idealist aspire?” A century and a half earlier, Emerson,
in his 1841 essay Circles, wrote: “There are degrees in idealism. We learn first to play with it academically.
. . . Then we see in the heyday of youth and poetry that it may be true, that it is true in gleams and fragments.
Then, its countenance waxes stern and grand, and we see that it must be true. It now shows itself ethical and practical.” John
Dewey and Mahatma Gandhi embraced practical idealism in the 20th century, as did UN Secretary General U Thant. Al Gore
invoked it in a 1998 speech. In the context of this blog, the term is meant to convey idealism tempered but not overwhelmed
by realism: a search for the ideal on a path guided by common sense.
|
|
Saturday, August 15, 2020
Ambassadors for a Good Cause: Miye Oni and Brandon Sherrod
Now, CASA of Southern
Connecticut's ambassadors, Miye Oni and Brandon Sherrod (who both played basketball as Yale students), are making news.
Miye not only made the Utah Jazz roster, including the group currently in the Orlando "bubble"; he was there for
the first game of the NBA's resumed season, including a powerful pre-game moment, when players and coaches locked arms to protest systemic racism and hear a rendition of the National Anthem by Jon Batiste.
In addition, Miye recently started his first NBA game. After he volunteered to support the CASA cause in Connecticut, he also offered to be helpful to Utah CASA, for
example inviting a boy in foster care to attend a Jazz home game before the pandemic.
Brandon grew up in Bridgeport and graduated Yale in 2016 with a degree in political science after taking a year off to
sing and travel the world with the Whiffenpoofs. In 2016, he was part of a Yale basketball team that won the Ivy League
and a game in the NCAA tournament; he earned all-league honors in setting the NCAA record with 30 consecutive field goals.
While at Yale, he and Javier Duren formed Team Sober, to discourage underage and excessive drinking. Since then, Brandon has
played pro basketball in Italy, where he recently signed for a fifth season.
For Zoom link and other
information, please contact: info[at]CASAsouthCT.org
|
|
|