user: News: Before Rand Paul announced his presidential bid Tuesday—declaring, “We have come to take our country back”—the crowd heard a special rendition of The Star-Spangled Banner by Marlana VanHoose.

The Kentucky 18-year-old couldn’t see the crowd erupt in applause after she took the stage at the Kentucky Galt House Hotel. Nor could she read the stream of tweets praising her when she belted the national anthem.

Holy Cow that National Anthem at the Rand Paul announcement was amazing.

— Chris Crawford (@CrawfordStuff) April 7, 2015

Who was the girl that sang the national anthem at the Rand Paul announcement? That was incredible.

— Rebecca Kaplan (@RebeccaRKaplan) April 7, 2015

Born with cerebral palsy, without a fully formed optic nerve, VanHoose has never been able to see. But after defying doctors’ predictions and making it past her first birthday, according to her website, “Marlana was humming “Jesus loves me” before she talked and by the time she was 2 years old she taught herself to play the piano.”

VanHoose has also sung the national anthem at sporting events and has been featured on ESPN.

She might not have been able to see the crowd clap, but they could hear them cheer.

Title: Marlana VanHoose Sang National Anthem at Rand Paul's Presidential Event


News: Prince Alwaleed and Kingdom Holding Exec. Director Ahmed Halawani

Update: This post contains new information about the size of Kingdom Holding’s allocation in Glencore’s IPO.

Saudi billionaire investor Prince Alwaleed bin Talal‘s Kingdom Holding investment firm placed an order for $400 million in Glencore IPO as part of a consortium between Kingdom Holding and Prince Alwaleed as an individual investor. Kingdom Holding received an allocation of $60 million, says Ahmed Halawani, executive director at Kingdom Holding in charge of private equity and international investments. Halawani did not disclose details on the allocation that Prince Alwaleed received as an individual investor.

The Glencore offering has been long awaited and is roughly 5 and a half times oversubscribed, which is why Kingdom Holding’s allocation is just a fraction of its initial bid. Halawani noted in a phone interview that Kingdom Holding’s allocation was one of the highest in the order book.

Kingdom Holding is placing a strategic bet with the Glencore investment. “We really believe commodity prices are on an upward trend,” Halawani explained. “I believe we have 5 to 10 years of the cycle, until growth normalizes in India and China.”

Trading in Glencore shares is to begin Tuesday May 24. The company is slated to be added to the FTSE 100 index on May 25, according to the Kingdom Holding release. Glencore had revenues of $145 billion last year. In addition to trading metals and mining products, Glencore has an energy division that handles the physical supply of roughly 3% of the world’s daily oil consumption, according to the Kingdom Holding release.

“Investing in this leading company is an extension of Kingdom Holding’s continuous pursuit of solid and distinct investments,” Prince Alwaleed said in a statement.

Alwaleed’s principal investment is his stake in Citigroup; he owns shares primarily through Kingdom Holding and also on an individual basis. In addition, Kingdom Holding has stakes in News Corp. (NWSA), Apple (AAPL), and the management company for the Four Seasons Hotels.

The public listing of Glencore is creating six new billionaires, according to my colleague Chris Helman, who delved deep into the offering prospectus, including Glencore CEO Ivan Glasenberg, whose net worth should top $9 billion.

Title: Saudi Prince Alwaleed Invests $60 Million In Glencore IPO (Update)


News: A proposal to rename most philosophy departments to more accurately reflect their focus on European and American philosophy prompted a spirited debate between readers who favor a European focus and scholars and students of Chinese, Islamic and other thought traditions.

“We ask those who sincerely believe that it does make sense to organize our discipline entirely around European and American figures and texts to pursue this agenda with honesty and openness,” wrote Jay L. Garfield and Bryan W. Van Norden in an essay in The Stone series. “We therefore suggest that any department that regularly offers courses only on Western philosophy should rename itself ‘Department of European and American Philosophy.’”

One reader said the term “philosophy” itself necessarily indicates the Western tradition rooted in Greek thought.

“‘Philosophy’ in a precise sense means the thinking that derives from ancient Greece under the rubric of ‘philos’ and ‘sophos,’ a love of wisdom. To ask that it qualify itself as European or Western is redundant,” Burroughs wrote. “Other wisdom traditions have their own fountainheads: from Zoroaster, the Buddha, Confucius, Lao Tze, etc. Should those who follow and study the Dharma be sure to include Hegel in their canons? Must the Way of the Taoists be labeled ‘Chinese’ or risk cultural imperialism?”

Many readers said they support a continued focus on the traditional philosophy curriculum in American universities.

“The western philosophical canon formed the foundation of our concepts of human rights, civil liberties, and government. As such, it deserves our focus and priority, especially for undergrads,” Steve Misuta wrote from the United States.

A professor who teaches Islamic philosophy said defenders of the traditional canon would benefit by expanding their studies.

“I suggest that these commentators who are so quick to dismiss the relevance of non-Western philosophy take a year or two off to read Chinese philosophy with its distinctive concerns and its logic and metaphysics grounded in a non-Indo-European language, Islamic logic with its concern for philosophy of law, or the rich metaphysical traditions of India,” wrote John Walbridge, a professor of Near East language and culture at Indiana University. “And see what’s happening in Africa.”

The president of Trinity Washington University in Washington, D.C., said that colleges and universities need to keep up with changes around the world.

“Let’s face facts: There’s a Muslim mayor in London, signifying the fact that even those who revere All Things British need to catch up with the now-settled reality of great diversity in contemporary life,” Pat McGuire wrote from Washington, D.C. “The canon of learning should reflect that, including philosophy.”

Several readers said the Eurocentric focus in American philosophy departments harms people who are not white or male, and imposes a misguided hierarchy.

“The point is that Western philosophy follows a political agenda of being exclusionary,” Margaret Gohn wrote from Bloomington, Ind. “It’s not a point of Western philosophy submitting, but of getting out from under its rock.”

One reader recalled a clear message in classes that thinkers outside the West were inferior.

“The clear inference was that the peoples of Asia and Africa were deficient and destined to failure unless they succumbed to the logic, the rationality, and morality of Western philosophy,” Jesse Alvarez wrote from Arlington, Va. “It bears being acknowledged that anyone who is not ‘white’ is someone who descends from a conquered people. You are basically telling me, at least, that I should just get over it, and to simply accept that there is no better way to see the world than the ‘white’ way.”

Acceptance of a global range of philosophies enriches the field, many readers said.

“Western philosophy is great and has offered thought and wisdom through the ages to those who are interested,” Ellen Goldin wrote from Williamsburg in Brooklyn. “More wisdom from more perspectives — what could be better? We have so much to learn from each other, if only we listen.”

Title:

assistant: Should Philosophy Departments Change Their Names? Readers Join the Debate