An Unprimary Education
The transition to Amherst, in the demographic sense, was a relatively simple one, but academically, the transition was slightly more difficult. "The public schools in Ohio where I lived were really inadequate. Many students had trouble passing standardized tests, and one year we had a history teacher who just sat at his desk and didn't teach us anything."
If he hadn't transferred to a private school, Kornblith might never have ended up at Amherst. "In seventh grade I transferred because [the education I was getting] was so bad." After transferring, Kornblith managed to enjoy the type of high school experience that he could not have had in his previous school, taking advantage of his opportunities just as he has at Amherst.
The Singing Democrat
During his first year at the College Kornblith tried many new activities, trying to learn as much as he could about life within a small college like Amherst. "I was on the sailing team and Hillel for a little bit". By trying out many different things Kornblith quickly found activities that were not only fun but that he was exceptionally good - joining the Mock Trial team, the College Democrats and Glee Club.
Mock Trial gave Kornblith a chance to exhibit the trademark intensity that political science professors would later characterize as one of his greatest strengths. "If there is one word to describe Russell, it's relentless. Russell is one of the only people I've ever met who has occasioned in me the thought, 'I can't converse with this guy; I am just not knowledgeable enough,'" said friend Nicholas Soltman '06. Indeed, the success that Kornblith enjoyed on the Mock Trial team required such intensity. The team that Russell captained this year beat Harvard University's 'A' team in the national tournament. "Although we eventually lost the tournament," said Kornblith, "we beat Harvard, a much bigger school and the school ranked number two in the country."
Glee Club is also an activity to which Kornblith brought a lot of energy and enthusiasm. He could always be found singing with a full and powerful voice. "I've always been singing, probably for about 16 years," said Kornblith. "It's a big time commitment, but it's also something that is a great activity to break up studying time". But, Kornblith is also quick to qualify his love of Glee Club. "The singing is fun, but I've never participated in any of the bizarre rituals. I never streaked, although I've heard that this has been known to happen."
The College Democrats proved a little less damaging to Kornblith's reputation, but nevertheless it involved a lot of work. "We put together the first door-to-door voter drive in Amherst College history. We had enough people to go to knock on every student's door twice," he recalled. Under Kornblith's leadership as president, the College Democrats also went off-campus to support John Kerry's presidential campaign, canvassing and registering voters across all social and economic classes. "We sent 86 people to canvass door-to-door in New Hampshire. It was more than any other school in New England. That's something that I'm really proud of, especially because Amherst is such a small school," said Kornblith.
Kornblith and the Democrats also found time to have fun while canvassing for Kerry. "After we had literally covered the city of Manchester in leaflets, Kerry had this incredible pep-rally and everyone was very excited," he said. "It was really like political carnival type atmosphere. We also got to vote with Jon Bon Jovi." Kornblith also brought his high energy attitude to his driving to and from New Hampshire. "I was driving pretty fast and ended up getting a $310 ticket, but the whole experience was worth it."
A Political Education
Kornblith always knew he was interested in politics, but several classes awakened his knack in political theory, an interest that helped to define his time at Amherst. "It sounds lame but my favorite Amherst experiences are in the classroom," said Kornblith.
He first became interested in political theory in Professor of Political Science Thomas Dumm's class, Contemporary Political Theory. This interest was also honed through repeated exposure to theorists and concepts in other classes and in Professor of Political Science and LJST Austin Sarat's colloquium on the Constitution. "I was always a big fan of the colloquium on the Constitution ... and its focus on specific constitutional issues and the many influential thinkers," said Kornblith. "Professor [of LJST] Nasser Hussain's class on Global Legality also refined my interests in theory."
Hussain's class piqued his curiosity and would become the basis for Kornblith's thesis, titled "Fundamentalism's Challenge: Identity, Modernity, Subjectivity, Crisis-An Inquiry in Political Theory." In his thesis Kornblith examined fundamentalism as a subject that must be understood as a concept that is "sown into modernity, and at the same time attempts to renegotiate subjectivity with modernity."
Kornblith's thesis was nominated for the department prize, and reflected careful study. "Russell took on an incredibly difficult subject. He demonstrated a wonderful mastery of challenging theorists and material, and I am very proud on his achievements and maturity," said Professor Sarat.
Kornblith was also given the opportunity to experience real life political drama when in his sophomore year Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia came to speak at the College. Kornblith wrote an article in The Student directly opposing Scalia's invitation and his policies, especially those concerning the gay community. "This is a man who doesn't believe that gay people should be granted equal rights. By inviting him we kind of give tacit endorsements to his policies." The real dispute arose when Kornblith's editorial was rebutted by an Amherst professor in a later issue of The Student. A public discussion followed, in which Kornblith asked, "How could we invite this type of person to Amherst College? He conflicts with the very principles of discourse that ground an Amherst education." Kornblith was also asked by local media, including the College radio station to comment on the issue.
Summers of Love
Kornblith spent his College summers away engaging in activities that helped bring his education to life. The summer before coming to Amherst, he worked for Tim Hagan's Ohio gubernatorial campaign. Although Hagan lost to Bob Taft, Kornblith recognized the importance of the experience. "He lost by a large margin, but I was working directly under his press secretary and it opened my eyes to the campaign process," Kornblith said.
The job also served to forge valuable connections; Kornblith earned a job working for Senator Ted Kennedy. "Working for Hagan helped me get a job in Ted Kennedy's office of economic policy," explained Kornblith. "I got to meet Ted Kennedy, and then I ran into him once in the office."
The following summer Kornblith found himself without a job. "I just couldn't get any internships for whatever reason," he recalled. Then he was offered a job with a political canvassing company called Grassroots Campaigns on the West Coast. "They actually didn't even exist yet" said Kornblith. "It was cool because I got in on the ground floor."
After attending a training session in Washington D.C., he and a colleague drove across the United States in 3.5 days. "It was crazy, but so much fun. I really enjoyed the drive through the Rocky Mountains: We had beautiful weather and the landscapes were amazing."
International flair
Kornblith has shown that the same drive and intensity that contributed to his success at the College can transcend international borders. In his first year the Glee Club went on tour to Japan, and Kornblith recollected that the cultural transitions were less than easy. "We sang in these rural villages and they served us blackened fish. Fish just stuck in a fire, not dressed or seasoned at all," he said.
During the spring semester of his junior year Kornblith studied abroad in Paris at L'Institut d'études politique sciences Po, one of France's leading universities. Predictably, Kornblith chose a much more difficult program of study than most people.
Although Kornblith, who also majored in French, speaks French fluently, he often needed to record lectures so as not to miss anything his French professors said. "They speak incredibly fast, and you're expected to take down all the notes," he explained. Many of Kornblith's professors were also quite intimidating, and one of his professors, Jean Pierre Azema, was a celebrity. "He took us on a tour of a museum exhibit that he was the curator of, and a bunch of people asked for his autograph," said Kornblith. Another of Kornblith's professors was a deputy to the National Assembly.
Kornblith also spent time abroad traveling when away from Amherst. "Over Spring Break my sophomore year I went to Venice and Rome. We went in the off season, which is the best time to go," said Kornblith. At one point in his college life, he did not return to his home in Ohio for 16 months. "In the summer of my junior year I spent some time at home because I had been away for so long," he remarked.
Kornblith will combine his loves of travel and political theory next year while studying on a French department fellowship at the Ecole Normale Supérieure, one of the top French graduate schools. Additionally, he is not obligated to produce anything, leaving him open to explore whatever he wants, just as he has at the College. "I hope to read as much theory as possible," said Kornblith. "It's going to be all my research, I'm really excited."
Following the completion of his year-long fellowship Kornblith has not yet decided what he wants to do. "I've always thought about a career in politics, maybe law school or political grad. school," he said. If history is any indication, Kornblith will pursue his goals with a rigor and passion that few possess.