Blimey, look at the cheery fella!

I’ve often been called a poor Scotswoman (if you couldn’t tell I was Scottish, check the spelling of my last name), and I probably deserve the criticism. I’ve never eaten haggis, I don’t have a striking accent, and I have never played the bagpipes – basically the only tie I have to my heritage is the hand-me-down kilt I keep in the back of my closet. Attractive, I know. Yet, when I heard Gordon Brown (fellow Scot!) was visiting campus this week, my inner Scot (and, not going to lie, my inner political nerd) was beyond thrilled. And thanks to the luck of the Irish (er, you know what I mean), I had the unbelievable opportunity to have dinner with the former Prime Minister this past Tuesday (shout out – Michelle Nguyen, you are beyond wonderful!).

Well, that’s a bit of an understatement – myself and about 150 other Harvard students stormed the Institute of Politics, eagerly slapping on our hastily-printed nametags to get a chance to see the Right Honourable gentleman himself. While the night started off with us students nervously nibbling at bits of (quite nice, mind you) finger foods in the glorious halls of the IOP, Brown’s arrival ignited a foray of activity, with each student silently pushing less aggressive ones away for their chance to shake his hand. Such aggressiveness (and let me tell you, being a particularly tiny 5’3″ woman means that I had to fight a lot of aggressiveness), however, subsided quickly after we all realized the real plan of the former Prime Minister – he was going down the aisle, trying to SHAKE EVERYONE’S HAND. AND ACTUALLY TALKING TO INDIVIDUALS. WHAT A MAN.

I may or may not have shaken his hand twice. AHHHHHH

[Side note: If I learned one thing from this "interacting with the high-league politics" situation, it's that you do not mess with security. At all. Not only did they have us keep making pathways to ensure that Brown always had a swift exit, but they also each had those curly-plastic earpieces that you always see Secret Service wearing, and it basically defined the word "intimidating." To be fair, my short stature means I'm intimidated by most things of normal height. But I digress.]

After non-stop greeting and talking and re-circling, we finally moved into the dining hall for some traditional British eats. Chicken pot pie, anybody?

I wouldn't be surprised if they could kill you. Like, seriously.

Yet while the food was tasty (this ain’t no typical HUDS food, people!), the real focal point of the night was the panel between John C. Culver (Director of the IOP) and Gordie. Now regardless of your view on his politics, it was hard to find the talk not enlightening – or at least something to make you reflect on the bigger picture.

Through a series of impromptu questions from the audience, we were able to gain a lot of insight about aspects of this man – he spoke of his upbringing as the son of a Presbyterian (Church of Scotland) minister, and how he was inspired to enter politics and help economically after seeing 550 people who worked at a factory from his hometown laid off in one swift motion during the economic crisis of his childhood. He spoke of lessons he learned, including how a visit to NASA taught him that each individual working for a project contributes to the greater goal – it is not just the scientist, the astronaut, and the researcher, but also the cleaning woman who had the right to say “I’m helping to put a man on the moon.” He spoke of the trials to improving health conditions in Africa, where currently 25% of the global health cases lie, reactions to globalization (including the “worldwide effort to stop globalization” – please relish in the obvious irony), and – my personal favorite – an opening joke about the Russians, the French, and the British. Ah, gotta love ‘em.

Dinner with Gordon Brown. nbd.

What struck me the most, however, was the answer to one of the first questions posed – what did you gain from your experience in your careers (student, journalist, politician)? While his answer was much more eloquent, he spoke briefly of each of his previous careers, but spent a lot of time talking about what it meant to him to be a politician. He mentioned something that I myself forget a lot when considering the political world: politics, at its heart, is meant to be about public service. It’s meant to be about providing for the greater good, and acting under the mindset of working to make a world a better place. It seems simple enough, but amidst all the stereotypes about selfish-driven politicians, corruption, and greed, it was refreshing to hear that stark truth once again.

I know that going has left me a lot to think about (and a major craving for tea and crumpets), but if you’re sad you missed him, don’t fret! Gordie has not left yet! He’s speaking this Thursday, 9/23, at the Institute of Politics Forum, though the tickets have already been lotteried and distributed. If you have a ticket, major props!, but otherwise feel free to watch the forum televised online. Whether you’re interested in politics or not, it’s a wonderful opportunity to think about what kind of political changes are going to be affecting all of us in the near future – or to at least hear a fantastic British accent!