The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com Thursday, November 15, 2012 - 3B The Michigan Daily - michigandailycom Thursday, Novemher 15, 2012 - 3B SIMON &SCHUSTER "These eyes have seen a lot of love, but they're never gonna see another one like I had with you." Discussing the greatness o R'Gatsby ALLISON KRUSKE/Daily Les Voyageurs chop their own wood for use in the cabin. Michig VOYAGEURS From Page lB an hockey team. Just like home of love and its drivers. The book shows how more often than not, Like in the salons of 17th we love ideals instead of realities and 78th century France, (green lights, Daisy, money, chil- this weekly installment dren). Its characters are driven toward false images of happiness will feature two Daily Arts in order to fulfill needs resid- writers discussing the finer ing in their pasts, it's not only a points of mediums beautiful concept, but a painfully farts relatable one as well. from at least 70 years ago. Other points of contention. exist, and that short paragraph probably did 'little to quell the There are certain books that haters, but still, against it all, sit on most every high schooler's "The Great Gatsby" thrives on its bookshelf: a faded "Catcher in sense of feeling. Even if certain the Rye," an annotated "Brave scenes seem contrived, or char- New World," perhaps some acters overbearing, underneath Hemingway and, of course, the it all is a heart of truth which ubiquitous "The Great Gatsby." embodies romantic, and gross, These were (or should, have parts of humanity. been) staples of a young per- Is "The Great Gatsby" one son's literary diet, and while one of the greatest books of the could certainly look back and last century? Probably. Does it find trifling problems with most have flaws? Of course. But what of these germinal titles ("Catch- doesn't? Fitzgerald resided in a er" is just #firstworldproblems period of American history tar- set 50 years ago, Hemingway is nished by excessive greed and sexist and hates bulls, etc.), it's self-interest. Within this moment much more difficult to harangue in time, he sculpted a modern against Fitzgerald's timeless tragedy of Shakespearean pro- masterpiece. portions. "The Great Gatsby" is The magic of Fitzgerald's writ- wonderfully written, heartbreak- ing in "Gatsby" is that it perfectly ing and insightful; a novel that balanced a sense of feeling with a should be on every person's shelf. sense of story; to explain, every -MATT EASTON sentence has a poetic feel without being weighed down by indul- gent tendencies. If you were to read through "Gatsby," seeking to I once fell in love with a com- eliminate unnecessary sentences plete buffoon: someone shallow, or to inject needed meaning, indifferent and flighty. He was you would find the task utterly the male equivalent of Daisy impossible. That's how excellent- Buchanan: pretty, and with the ly Fitzgerald was able to connect emotional understanding and his prose with his intent. Concise range of a slow clap. Perhaps I'm and kinetic, poignant but never jaded. Maybe I'm biased because cloying, "Gatsby" is a poem in my own failed romance ended novel form, all while being almost about as well as Myrtle Wilson's absurdly readable. life. But each time I sat down That being said, it isn't usu- to read "The Great Gatsby," I ally Fitzgerald's style that annoys couldn't get past the frailty of those who hate his work: It's the human sacrifice and the flaws "inanity" of is plots and char- behind the characters' reasoning. acters with the central figure of There are plenty of novels that derision being Daisy. For exam- benefit from exposing human ple, why would Gatsby love a nature: In fact, most respected woman like Daisy (as if we our- authors spend years trying to selves were pinnacles of human pin down the exact expression of decency)? Fitzgerald's depiction humility and emotional vulner- of Daisy/Gatsby is an example ability in their writing. In that, of his profound understanding Fitzgerald does a spectacular job. Each character is fantastically flawed, human and imperfect. If you didn't dislike each charac- ter at some point, you've done an injustice in reading the novel. My unhappiness stems from the overtly ungratifying depths to which the characters sink in the name of love. No doubt, I've been a fool while muddling through feelings. But it seems difficult to imagine a scenario in which, after witnessing my ungrateful, unfaithful true love run a person over, I would sit back and take the blame. It's difficult for me to imagine a time in which I would take a mistress, find her struck dead and promptly take my wife on a vacation to rekindle' the romance. People are irrational. They are fearful and uncertain, but more often than not, the imme- diate need for self preservation kicks in. Furthermrnr, the desire to have and to own supersedes the desire to please. Had Daisy chosen Gatsby, I'd understand his reaction. Had Daisy not slept with Gatsby, I'd under- stand Tom's reaction. But I can't, and the novel feels incomplete: like something that had all the workings to be phenomenal, but instead falls right before the big jump. It feels like a cop-out to watch Gatsby die without con- fronting Daisy. It feels wrong to watch Nick be a casual bystander who doesn't interfere, but has all the opinions. The novel, as a piece of lit- erature, is phenomenally writ- ten. Fitzgerald is a master of language, and it shows in each sentence. But the rationale, the logic behind the novel, is inher- ently harder to understand. It doesn't have to be cut and dry. I don't mind analyzing motives, I don't mind accepting that cer- tain characters are more flawed than others. I do mind making excuses for characters: witness- ing them make mistakes that seem forced. Is "The Great Gatsby" worth reading? Absolutely. Is it worth loving as much as every teenager seems to love it? Perhaps not. -ANNA SADOVSKAYA Stu part o cess b lucks, The m 30 p alums featur homer long, Afti presen by the cally s subjec given includ and or "I h bunch outsid people Onl induct usual secret hers a The weeks weeke active that c - som Tho ment cess, A no haz "W it exis one w a secr fun. W becau cial e: who g: is." It's presen memb friend is tre anywh "it ity be to," A are af becau middl Lik enjoys the cal "I 1 becau said." world. Per is a 25 pus, s the c streng Voyag An the lot very c is all a friend it hang "Les V in bol travele explor includ the so Gould As, Univer that th alums. memb kovsky a lawy free pr incidei menta Harold son, t. dents who want to be a Seated before the crackling f the society start the pro- fire, it's hard to tell whether y attending Sunday pot- Alexander's face is lit by the the society's weekly event. flicker of flames lapping at logs eal usually attracts about or her thoughts and memories of eople, including actives, her fellow LVs. and friends of LVs. Dinner "It's like a family that once es a savory assortment of you have it you can't imagine not made dishes adorning the being a part of it - you just gel," wooden dining room table. Alexander said. "For some rea- erward an educational son we attract people who are rtation begins, organized easygoing and interesting and vice-chief, which is typi- we just all really like each other pecific to outdoor-related and support each other. It's pret- ts. Past presentations ty warm." by University professors Along with friendship, eter- ed monarch butterflies nal love for the outdoors is cen- renteering. tral to the society. oved it because it's just a But Alexander noted that Les of people who love going Voyageurs is not a backpacking e; it's a very cool group of club. Social gatherings around Bonadonna said. the fire, sitting around at the dinner table and a strong sense Out on their own of brotherhood and sisterhood distinguish LVs from traditional y six new members were backpacking groups. ed this year - more than Three active LVs, including for Les Voyageurs - in a Alexander, currently live in the ceremonial process mem- one-bedroom bungalow -- a re forbidden to discuss. room that takes up the entire induction took place two second story, its walls lined ago over the course of a with closets and bookshelves md, filling the cabin with while mattresses cover the floor, s, inductees and shams Bunks often appear out of neces- ame back for the ceremony sity when more members move e 50 people in total. in throughout the year. :ugh she declined to com- Despite the lack of privacy on the details of the pro- everyone kind of has their own lexander emphasized that space - bookshelves serve as ing occurred. makeshift walls separatingbeds. e can acknowledge that Though the cabin was empty ts but we don't. tell any- at the time, special events attract hat we do," she said. "It's active LVs over the Broadway et thing, but it's really bridge and through the woods to Ve just don't talk about it Habe Mills Pine Lodge. se we want it to be a spe- Old Timers' Night brings peo- xperience for the people ple back to the lodge, honoring o through it, and it usually Les Voyageur alums with din- ner and usually involving a lot of more than potlucks and storytelling. The Huron Hustle, tations every Sunday. For a canoe race from the cabin, up ers, the community and the river to the dam and back, ship found at the cabin along with. ski weekends in sured and can't be found Northern Michigan are a few of ere else. the annual LV expeditions. has this feel of exclusiv- Bonadonna also mentioned cause we're so hard to get Thanks-caving, a November lexander said. "People event where LVs go caving for raid of coming down here the weekend. se they think we're in the On a larger scale, The Paul e of nowhere." Bunyan Ball has historically been e Alexander, Bonadonna a large event for Les Voyageurs. the distance separating "It was typically a square bin from Central Campus. dance with callers," said Jim like going to the cabin McNair, an Ann Arbor native se it's like a getaway," she and Les Voyageurs alum who It's a completely different still attends meetings every Sun- day. "We'd decorate the place in haps it's because the cabin Paul Bunyan-style, with Babe i-minute walk from cam- the Blue Ox, a real plaid shirt ecluded from the rest of event." ollegiate world. But the Before Les Voyageurs became th of friendships tying Les a co-ed society, the ball gave LV eurs together is tangible. men an opportunity to bring LV tenet is etched across women to society events. When g mantle that reaches the McNair was an active in the ore of what Les Voyageurs early 1980s, the ball was held bout: "Here let the fire of on campus in a Union ballroom, ship burn forever." Above drawing a crowd of more than s a framed cloth flag, with 200 students. royageurs" stitched neatly Now, the ball is somewhat d block letters. This flag smaller, but everyone still dress- d with the first team of es up and has fun, Alexander ers to the South Pole - said.. ling a former member of Last week, actives met to - ciety, Laurence McKinley package the LcE Voyageurs 2012 Annual. The little black book a student society at the edited by the Keeper of the Leg- rsity, it's not surprising ends is essentially a yearbook ere are several famous LV for the society and has recorded . Now deceased, former the last 100 years of the society's ers included Mike Mis- projects, stories and updates. , who went on to become Every year, current LVs send 'er and worked closely to out annuals to more than 500 isoners in the Bay of Pigs alums around the country and nt of the 1960s; environ- abroad. list and Earth Day pioneer This year's edition includes d Jordahl; and Red Beren- updates from alums and actives, he current coach of the as well as poetry, stories and photos. Flipping to the back of the book, LVs can find a geo- graphically organized direc- tory of all living alums, the current actives and new mem- bers inducted that year. "If you're ever traveling, you can take this along with you and look people up in the back and see who's in what city," Alexan- der said. Into the future The 2012 annual includes significant updates on the cabin itself, which recently received $130,000 worth in renovations funded by LV alumni. Completed last summer, renovations includ- ed an expansion of the entire cabin to create more floor space accompanied by new hardwood floors, new heating systems and a brand new kitchen. McNair was a huge compo- nent in the renovations. He is one of the two members on the society's advisory board, over- seeing the officers and providing support with upkeep of the lodge and ensuring the continuity of LV traditions. When the lodge transitioned from serving solely as a meeting house to becoming a home for members, indoor plumbing and an indoor kitchen were 'added, but those were the exceptions - the cabin hadn't really been updated since it was built in 1926, McNair said. The alumni-funded renova- tions hearken back to the prin- ciples former LVs supported as actives, many years ago. "Les Voyageurs is not some- thing you do for four years and then graduate," Bonadonna said. "You're a voyageur for life." From financial contributions to tutorials on how to use a com- pass properly, LVs are always around. McNair is still very active out- doors, and sees alums at many LV events who he has kept in touch with. "We want to maintain a huge family," Bonadonna said. "If you need somethingthey're there for you." The everlasting, idiosyncratic friendships specific to Les Voya- geurs are felt when members come together, especially when alums are around, Alexander said. "It's one big friendship," she said. "We'll have people come back who graduated last -year and also people who graduated in 1960 and we get along so well, it's easy." Bonadonna has no doubt that she'll keep in touch with fellow LVs and probably travel with them in the future. "We have this thing that con- nects us," she said. "And we always can come back to the cabin, it'll always be here." After Alexander, Bonadonna and other Les Voyageurs gradu- ate, the traditions that glue the society together will continue. They'll come back as alumni for Old Timers' Night and teach actives the skills they learned when they were at the Univer- sity. And just as they did before every meal together, they'll sing the same song that's been sung for more than 100 years. Long live les voyageurs stead- fast and true, loyal to old Michigan and the yellow and blue. And may thesejoyous hours we spend together, prove as bright shining lights in darker hours. ARE YOU JUST A LITTLE TOO SMART FOR THAT COMM. CLASS? CARE TO SHOW OFF YOUR POP CULTURE PROWESS ? JOIN THE TV/NEW MEDIA BEAT. REQUEST AN APPLICATION BY E-MAILING ARTS@MICH IGANDAILY.COM.