The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Arts
Thursday, April 16, 2015 — 5A
W
ell, my friends, the
time has finally
come. This is it.
The final scene. The closing
sentence. The last column. The
end.
Last
summer,
when
I
applied
to be the
literary
columnist
here at The
Michigan
Daily,
I
had
no
idea
what
to expect. I wasn’t anticipating
literary-centered spring breaks
or the fact that one of the
most celebrated and reclusive
American authors was going to
release another book. Truly, the
literary gods have been good to
me.
No, all I knew was that I
wanted to write about my
passion,
and
so
came
the
column. Writing during that
labyrinth known as the last year
of college has been delightfully
challenging. In the past eight
months,
I’ve
experienced
happiness,
heartache
and
Harbaugh.
It’s been quite a ride, but now
it’s time for me to say goodbye.
So what final words do I have
for you?
Read! Read everything and
anything you can get your
hands on. Yes, read books,
poems and plays, but also read
newspapers, magazines, flyers
and the back of cereal boxes.
Why? Because you never know
what you might learn from even
the most commonplace of texts.
Read! Read whenever and
wherever you can. Read before
you go to bed. Read when you
first wake up. Read on the
treadmill. Read on the bus, but
don’t miss your stop! Read while
you’re waiting for something
to start. Why? Because at any
time, you have the power to
transport yourself to anywhere
you want to be, so why settle for
a subway station or a line at the
post office?
If there’s one point I would
like to leave with you, it’s this:
You are the author of your life.
Your story is important. So
write yourself into adventure,
mystery, romance, action and
comedy. Fill your life with all
manner of strange and exciting
characters, but know when to
write certain people out. Every
so often, change up your setting
or pacing, if just to keep things
interesting.
Accept
nothing
less than poetry. And always
remember, at any moment, you
can start on a new chapter.
It’s difficult to explain how
significant writing the literary
column has been to me. For
someone who embodies the
phrase “painfully shy,” and
who’s much more comfortable
listening to the thoughts of
others
than
espousing
my
own, who doesn’t often speak
up unless directly asked; this
column has provided me a
space for self-reflection and
exploration that has made it
possible for me to not only find
my voice, but to claim it. It has
allowed me to be bold, in my
own, quiet way.
And
perhaps
most
importantly, my columns have
introduced me to you lovely
readers. It has been a pleasure
speaking with you and learning
about your own thoughts about
and connections to my literary
ramblings.
Whether it was lamenting
the football season or pitching
the premise for my sitcom
(seriously, let’s get that thing on
the air), you have come to know
me as both a writer and as a
person, and I pray that you have
not found me too sorely lacking
as either.
And now we come to the
sweet sorrow that is parting.
But before this columnist goes
gentle into that good night,
a few final words, to you, my
dearest readers.
If this is the first time you’ve
read one of my columns, I
sincerely thank you for your
interest and I apologize for the
copious amount of schmaltz.
If you’ve been with me
from the beginning, I can
only assume we’re related and
I’ll see you at the next family
function. If, on the off chance,
we’re not bound by blood or
marriage but you’ve still stuck
with me, I cannot adequately
express
my
gratitude
and
astonishment. In short, let’s
start a book club.
Please
know
if
I
ever
provided even a moment of
entertainment or introspection
among you, dear readers, I will
consider my time as a columnist
a rousing success.
It has truly been an honor
to share in your Thursdays
and
encourage
community
discussions
around
the
literary topics, serious and
silly alike, which mean so
much to me.
I’m not sure where I’m
headed on this crazy road
called
life,
a
fact
that,
depending on the day, can be
both dizzyingly exhilarating
and terribly frightening. But
of this I am certain:
Every time I glance at the
clock and promise myself just
one more chapter. Every time I
buy three new books but decide
to reread an old one first. Every
time I sigh in contentment at a
perfect closing line –
I’ll be thinking of you all.
Prosniewski is finding that
you can’t pay student loans with
books. To see how she’s doing,
email gpros@umich.edu
LITERARY COLUMN
Turning to the
last page
GRACE
PROSNIEWSKI
A how-to guide for
buying festival tickets
By CARLY SNIDER
Daily Arts Writer
The snow has melted and
calves are cropping up every-
where.
Questionable
cutoff
denim articles of clothing and
aggressive
long-boarders
are
steadily emerging from hiber-
nation. With warmer weather
comes,
among
other
things,
concerts: annual events, pop-
up shows, world tours. In other
words, “festival season” is upon
us.
The festival experience is
many things – exhilarating, mov-
ing and, at times, sticky. While
the event itself is likely to be
unforgettable, the equally impor-
tant pre-show process is often
overshadowed and forgotten.
The emotional roller coaster
that is planning for and purchas-
ing a ticket to a festival can be
draining – the highs are high and
the lows are low. Through care-
ful observation and the personal
experiences of many, a distinct
pattern of behavior, occurring in
the months before the big event,
has come to light. It is known as
the Five Stages of Buying Festival
Tickets.
1. Excitement: Categorized by
an overall feeling of well-being,
this phase is the easiest to get
through, and often the longest
lasting. Common side effects
By HAILEY MIDDLEBROOK
Daily Arts Writer
Full disclaimer: I am an English
major.
I’m the bookish oldest child
who’s
often
referenced last
in my mother’s
conversations
with her hospi-
tal co-workers
when the topic
of
children
comes up: “Yes,
my college kids
are doing well!
My
younger
daughter is set on the pre-med
track and my oldest is —” Always
a pause. “Studying English. She
likes to write.”
More than anything else, it’s the
pause that gets to me. I don’t blame
the hesitation on my mother, but
on the environment we live in: one
in which college is staggeringly
expensive, where students are
herded into STEM and business
fields, compulsed to keep up with
the technological race and scared
stiff by the prospect of post-grad-
uation unemployment.
Success (and therefore money)
seems to be a byproduct of being
business savvy, fluent in computer
science,
mechanically
detail-
oriented and charismatic enough
to catch attention. When we
think of billionaires, we picture
Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Mark
Zuckerberg
—
all
innovative
geniuses who molded our visions
of technology and corporations.
In his new book, “In Defense of a
Liberal Education,” CNN host and
bestselling author Fareed Zakaria
proposes that students may be
chasing success in the wrong way.
Funneling undergraduates into
business, engineering and other
trade fields may lead to a good pay-
check straight out of graduation —
and for anxious students and their
parents, this fact is certainly reas-
suring — but Zakaria argues that
in our rapidly advancing world,
the likelihood of someone hold-
ing the same job until retirement
is outdated and obsolete. As tech-
nology evolves and corporations
outsource more products, their
efficiency elevates, eliminating the
need for as many employees.
Zakaria argues that our gen-
eration is stuck at a crossroads.
In his final chapter, “In Defense
of Today’s Youth,” he illustrates
common conceptions of millenni-
als: labeled as the “Me, Me, Me”
generation, we’re obsessed with
screens, blatantly selfish and bored
with serious conversation. At the
same time, Zakaria observes, we
are diminished for being too polite
— we’re no longer the dazed waifs
of the ’70s or the rock punks of
the ’80s (rebels with a cause) —
instead, we’re generally closer to
our parents, more conscious about
health and the environment, moti-
vated to succeed rather than risk
everything to make a statement.
Societal pressure, Zakaria says,
makes career choices complicated.
If we pursue science and technolo-
gy, our intelligence may be praised
and rewarded, but we run the risk
of not being able to compete cre-
atively — as Steve Jobs explained at
the unveiling of a new iPad edition,
“Technology alone is not enough.
It’s technology married with liber-
al arts, married with the humani-
ties, that yields us the result that
makes our hearts sing.”
If we choose the liberal arts,
Zakaria says, our creative thinking
and analytic skills may be finely
tuned, but contrary to Jobs’ state-
ment, our degrees could be dis-
missed as “irrelevant” to future
employers. Or even worse — a
waste of a college education. Even
President Barack Obama, who
graduated from Columbia Univer-
sity with with a political science
degree, voiced this in a 2014 speech:
“I promise you, folks can make a
lot more, potentially, with skilled
manufacturing or trades than they
make with an art history degree.”
Why do we think this way? In
a country that steadfastly pro-
motes individualism and thrives
on diversity, why are students pas-
sionate about art history frowned
upon? And if our nation’s future
success is strictly correlated with
our advancement in math and
science, how is it that countries
with more rigid curricula haven’t
passed us in innovation? Zakaria
tries to answer these questions by
digging into the history of liberal
education, examining stories from
teachers and students as well as his
own experiences.
For Zakaria, who grew up in
India and received a scholarship to
attend Yale University, one thing
is clear: “The United States has
poorly trained labor force in gen-
eral, which is a disadvantage. But
it makes up for it in several ways ...
Good test scores are not enough to
make the next Google.”
He arrived on the Yale campus
set to pursue medicine, but instead
graduated with a history degree.
He was fascinated by the subject,
stimulated by classroom debates
and a desire to know how the
world works — not just on the tech-
nical level, but the personal one.
“The crucial challenge (was) to
learn how to read critically, analyze
data, and formulate ideas — and
most of all to enjoy the intellectual
adventure enough to be able to do
them easily and often,” Zakaria
writes of his experience at Yale.
“In Defense of a Liberal Edu-
cation” emphasizes that innova-
tion doesn’t come from scientific
advancement alone — it comes from
human ideas, set into motion.
Zakaria forms his defense in six
concise chapters, walking the
reader through a liberal education
timeline from ancient Greek teach-
ing, through his school experience
and to the challenges of today’s
students. His argument draws on
hundreds of references, detailed
in 29 pages of citations — pulling
quotes from scientific journals, Ivy
League deans and corporate execu-
tives, Zakaria fleshes out his claims
clearly and convincingly.
In the end, college is the place
to find our passions. It’s where we
absorb information and scheme up
“the next big thing” in our dorm
rooms, whether that be a social
media phenomenon or an Oscar-
winning screenplay. We succeed
by learning from each other, by
collaborating our strengths and
weaknesses. Our passions in Eng-
lish or science or Art History are
what empower us. We shouldn’t be
scared to admit them.
Zakaria makes the
case for liberal arts
In Defense
of a Liberal
Education
Fareed Zakaria
W.W. Norton
March 30, 2015
DAILY BOOK REVIEW
include a quickened heart rate
and light sweat when thinking
of the upcoming event. Thoughts
along the lines of, “This is going
to be the wildest, most inspiring,
epic concert experience of my
young life” or “I cannot believe
I get to see *insert favorite artist
here* in the flesh” can become
pervasive.
2. Planning: This phase causes
the future festival-goer to heav-
ily strategize the purchasing pro-
cedure of his/her ticket. Looking
ahead to the date and time of the
release, it is not uncommon for the
subject to blow off previous engage-
ments and obligations in favor of
securing the cheapest passes pos-
sible. Behaviors such as scoping out
the best Wi-Fi locations and enlist-
ing friends or family to assist with
the purchase may occur.
3. Anxiety: Though the short-
est of the five phases, the third
is often the most stressful. It is
in this period that the festival-
hopeful actually goes through the
purchasing process, often causing
increased tension and perspira-
tion. Behavior may become errat-
ic, as options such as multiple-day
passes often sell out quickly, but
should return to normal post-
purchase. Bargaining (with one-
self, others or a higher power)
is common, as well as fervent
refreshing of various web pages.
4. Post-Purchase Shock: After
dropping what is likely to be some
serious coin, a period of denial is
likely to follow. Bank account bal-
ances are usually at record lows,
causing ticket holders to rely on
their frugality – taking on more
shifts at work, skipping the gua-
camole at Chipotle, etc. It is pos-
sible to slip into a state of denial,
characterized by thoughts such as,
“If I just don’t look at my account
balance, it’s like the money is still
there” and “I don’t really need to
buy food this month, anyway.” The
duration and severity of this shock
can vary based on the ticket hold-
er’s financial stability and emotion-
al predisposition.
5. Acceptance: With the passage
of time, the future-festival goer is
able to come to terms with his/her
purchase. It is likely that the lineup
has now been released and more
concrete plans are being made,
allowing him/her to return to
their initial, excited mindset. The
thought of the musical euphoria to
come soothes any and all previous
inhibitions. This period of peace
continues up until the event, allow-
ing for full emotional closure –
leaving the lucky music junkie free
to take in each magical moment.
MUSIC NOTEBOOK
And now we
come to the
sweet sorrow
that is parting.