L
ast
Monday,
United
States Supreme Court
Justice Sonia Sotomayor
and Justice Susanne
Baer of the Federal
Constitution Court
of Germany hosted
a talk sponsored by
the School of Music,
Theatre
&
Dance
about the role of
the performing arts
in advancing social
justice. The event
aimed
to
discuss
the pivotal role of
the arts in defining
the
human
condition
and
bringing about justice, and
featured student performances
that aspired to demonstrate
the powerful ability of art to
foster understanding and make
the world a better place. The
justices’ discussions further
served
to
emphasize
the
importance and necessity of the
arts in our world. The evening
felt like an impassioned and
convincing plea for society
to remember the value of
the arts. It was particularly
timely,
considering
recent
rumors that President Trump
will eliminate the National
Endowment for the Arts, the
National Endowment for the
Humanities
and
privatize
the Corporation for Public
Broadcasting.
During the discussion, the
speakers raised the subject
of the relationship between
government and the arts. Baer,
speaking
about
Germany’s
attitude
toward
public
funding for the arts, said she
thought government support
for the arts demonstrated
that the arts are “part of our
civic society.” She said that in
Germany, arts are something
that cities are proud to fund,
because they provide a source
of “who we are.”
In contrast, Sotomayor said
that the United States has less
of a tradition of public support
for the arts, and that most U.S.
cities fund their arts through
the generosity of the public. She
emphasized that it is part of our
civic responsibility to support
art. Still, Baer raised the idea
that a compromise between
public and private funding might
be preferable, since many artists
need a steady source of income.
Regardless of where funding
for the arts comes from, the
justices agreed that art holds
a
unique
and
special
power
to
communicate
the
incommunicable.
Sotomayor said art
can touch the soul.
Baer said art is not
just a product, but it
can “reach out beyond
what we usually reach
out to.” They spoke
powerfully
about
their
experiences
with art, and how those
experiences shaped them.
Baer said she was “in awe
seeing
the
multiplicity
of
human
expression
through
music.” Further, music speaks
to her “on another dimension
that (she) couldn’t understand
otherwise.” Sotomayor said her
most deeply felt views on the
criminal justice system came
from a spoken word project by
the Innocence Project. She said
performance moved her “to
think more broadly about how
our criminal justice system
affects our society than any of
(her) readings at night.”
Sotomayor’s perspective on
our criminal justice system
was
profoundly
shaped
by
one
performance,
and
her
position on the issue in turn
has been, and will continue
to be, reflected in Supreme
Court decisions that shape the
criminal justice system. This
alone should be proof enough
of the value of the arts. But art
doesn’t haven’t to affect the
opinions of one of the world’s
most important legal minds
to have a significant, positive
impact.
Take, for example, Carla
Dirlikov Canales, an Ypsilanti
native and world renowned
opera singer. Canales spoke
at the event about how artists
can be teachers, educators and
healers, not just entertainers.
She
would
know,
having
founded the Canales Project
to “give voice to issues of
identity and culture through
the arts and conversation.”
She has been named to Foreign
Policy’s 100 Leading Global
Thinkers of 2015 and has
served as a cultural envoy for
the U.S. Department of State.
Before she began her beautiful
performance of “Habanera”
from
“Carmen,”
Canales
implored
the
audience
to
remember that the arts allow
us to explore the common
human condition, and that this
is especially vital in currently
divided times.
Overall,
the
event
was
compelling in its advocacy for
the indispensable role that
art plays in our lives and in
society. Of course, it was a
prime example of “preaching to
the choir.” I would be shocked
if anybody in the small crowd
who bought tickets to see an
event called “Social Justice and
the Performing Arts” doubted
the importance of the arts. The
self-selection of this event, and
many similar ones that take
place on college campuses all
the time, is a shame, because I
think some skeptics might have
been converted.
I, for one, can easily call
to mind the powerful ways
that art has shaped my view
of the world. Whether it be
rap music, foreign films or
musicals, art has taught me a
lot about the world and made
me
a
more
compassionate
person. I urge everyone to
think about how art has shaped
their lives and consider what
role we as a country should
play in promoting the arts.
Do we think that we should
leave the arts entirely to will
of
the
public’s
generosity,
even if this means that art
might increasingly become the
product of elite preferences?
Do we think that cutting
funding
for
the
National
Endowment for the Arts, the
National Endowment for the
Humanities
and
privatizing
the Corporation for Public
Broadcasting is necessary, even
if they only compose less than
one-tenth of 1 percent of the
federal budget?
As
the
Trump
administration’s
radical
changes to our country keep
coming at lightning speed,
don’t let these potential cuts
go unnoticed. The arts might
not be as critical of an issue as
immigration or health care, but
the role they play in our society
is large and irreplaceable.
D
ear President Schlissel,
This semester I am
teaching a course titled
“Resisting State Violence: Race,
Policing and Social Justice in
Twentieth
Century
America,”
offered in the departments of
History and Afroamerican and
African Studies. As an instructor
on race and racism, I try to
offer all of my students space
to talk frankly and historically
about current events, whether
the conversation is about the
relationship
between
past
immigration
policies
and
President
Trump’s
executive
order banning refugees, or the
recent racist and anti-Semitic
emails sent to engineering and
computer science students.
We
talked
about
those
emails, as well as the incident
concerning the defiled prayer rug
in the Shapiro Undergraduate
Library Reflection Room in class.
Many students of color were
upset. Many of them, along with
their white peers, expressed the
same concern and anger as those
who gathered in front of your
house shortly after the emails
were received. Multiple students
expressed a lack of confidence
in the Diversity, Equity and
Inclusion plan and the University
of Michigan’s ability to identify
perpetrators of violent speech.
Some even went as far to say
that it may take someone getting
hurt before the University would
take recognizable action. Those
comments troubled me and I am
sure they would trouble you.
I
understand
that
such
comments could sting, but they
illustrate a persistent gap in
trust between some students of
color and the administration,
despite the University’s DEI
efforts. Many will not deny
the University’s long-term DEI
plans or your willingness to
offer assurance via email and in
person. I even recognize your
efforts to support undocumented
students
in
anticipation
of
changes in federal immigration
policy.
But
several
of
my
students also see that the
University does not appear to
be able to prevent the hateful
acts targeted at marginalized
communities on campus.
Another sentiment that some
students of color expressed is
one that civil rights activist
Fannie Lou Hamer famously
uttered in a 1964 speech, “I’m
sick and tired of being sick and
tired.” Some spoke of being tired
with hearing the response, “We
are investigating,” with little
update or ability to locate racist,
Islamophobic, misogynistic and
anti-Semitic trolls. Some of the
students in class expressed how
they were growing tired with
appealing to administration to
little effect on their lives. Some
even expressed how they were
tired of you asking them what
you could do. They are obviously
seeking inspired leadership, at
least. They also desire tangible
changes
and
results,
sooner
rather than later.
So,
what
can
you
do?
Unfortunately, I do not have any
answers. I wish I did because
we all want everyone here at the
University to work and live in
an environment free of racism,
Islamophobia,
anti-Semitism,
misogyny and other forms of
oppression. What I heard in class
is a desire for clearer and more
constant communication. The
students I listened to effectively
said that responses that point to
the broader context of bigotry in
the country are insufficient.
They are looking for you to talk
directly about these incidents
in a manner that illustrates
a constant engagement with
their daily experiences. They
understand campus and outside
authorities may be investigating.
But, maybe some students of color
would appreciate more continual
updates
about
investigations
and
the
University’s
efforts
to prevent hateful incidents.
And I understand there may be
legal and institutional limits
to such a request, but the more
communicative and transparent
you can be, the more you can
close the gap in trust. As you
know, closing this gap in trust
between students of color and
the administration should garner
more buy-in and goodwill for DEI
efforts, but it will also be the key
toward building a more inclusive
and equitable campus climate for
years to come.
Opinion
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
4 — Thursday, February 9, 2017
Single on Valentine’s Day
MICHAEL SUGERMAN | COLUMN
S
uggestion: listen to Gilbert
O’Sullivan’s “Alone Again
(Naturally)” as you read
for full effect.
A
“secret
admirer”
recently
left me a red teddy
bear
holding
a
plush
heart
inscribed with the
word “kiss,” along
with a note that
says they can’t stop
thinking about me.
True story. I still
have no clue who it
is. I’m touched (and
a bit scared). I hope one of my
friends isn’t just screwing with
me. I think one of my friends is
just screwing with me.
Secret admirer aside — if
you’re
reading
this,
reveal
yourself! — my college love
prospects have been pretty
dim. To be quite honest, I don’t
think college is a very romantic
place. I often find that there
are two extremes: the people
who date for four years and
are destined for marriage and
the sloppy drunken hookups
we see at parties and on the
dance floors of bars. They’re
so
common,
there
is
an
Instagram account dedicated
to documenting them.
Let’s not forget Tinder. Who
knew that romance could be
as industrial as a rightward
swipe and a “match?” With a
handful of carefully curated
pictures and a brief bio, we
transcend
the
mystery
of
fleeting imagination and make
contact, often with complete
strangers. Some have told me
they legitimately use Tinder
for dating; others say they use
it to feed hookup culture.
Here’s something I think
about often: My dad’s parents
started dating each other in
10th grade. They were 15.
That’s nuts! My mom’s parents
married
right
before
my
grandmother graduated from
college. She was the same age I
am now! Look — I’m 21 and I’m
not dating at the moment. I’m
about to graduate from college
and I’m likely going to move to
a new city instead of returning
home. Is this really the time to
pursue a new relationship?
Valentine’s
Day
quickly
approaches,
and though I know
it’s
a
fabricated
Hallmark
holiday,
it encapsulates the
mounting
pressure
I feel. How many of
your
parents
have
asked you if you’re
dating
anyone?
Have any of your
grandparents tried to
set you up?
My grandfather called me
last week and told me the
granddaughter
of
a
friend
in his Torah study group is
a
University
of
Michigan
student. He was trying to be
helpful, which I appreciate,
but imagine that introduction:
“Hi there, we’ve never met, but
our Jewish grandparents hang
out weekly and want us to wed.
Are you ready to start the rest
of our lives together?” I can
hear “Tradition” from “Fiddler
on the Roof” playing in the
background.
All of life, I think, is a search
for intimacy, and from talking
with friends, it seems clear that
I’m not the only one struggling
to find it. The pressure isn’t
just a matter of age or well-
intentioned family members.
I think we’re so used to being
plugged in, surrounded by
others and even hyper-aware
of their relationships, that we
forget the importance of being
comfortable with ourselves.
A couple of weekends ago, I
stayed in New York City. I have
some high-school friends there
whom I visited, but a great deal
of my time was spent alone
in the city. The pure thought
of that was a bit terrifying to
me. How could I enjoy myself
without
someone
to
enjoy
myself with?
When I was a little kid, I
loved being on my own. I’d
come home and spend hours in
my room, playing with Thomas
the Tank Engine figures when
I was really young, and later
moved on to Legos. I loved
that time the most; person-
to-person interactions could
be exhausting, and sometimes
all I needed to decompress
were my favorite toys and my
imagination.
I tried to channel that
dormant part of myself while
I was in the city, and to my
surprise, it was a success.
I stuck in my headphones,
jammed to one of my favorite
playlists, and walked. I bought
a $2 hot dog with ketchup and
mustard, and I enjoyed the
hell out of it. I went to an art
museum and worked through
each of its exhibits over the
course of three hours. I think
I’d forgotten that I can be fun
to hang out with.
All
things
considered,
this column is both personal
catharsis and reassurance for
those of you who are in the same
boat right now. This Valentine’s
Day, don’t be ashamed if you’re
not taking a significant other
out to dinner somewhere in
downtown Ann Arbor to show
that you care. Don’t worry
that your grandparents were
already on the verge of having
children when they were in
this stage of life.
I conducted some minor
research on this, and according
to one psychologist, “The more
obsessed and ruminative a
person may be about obtaining
a partner or finding new
romantic attention, the more
depleted and inadequate they
may feel about themself.”
Sometimes, the person you
should get to know better is
… you. So, put in the time.
Grab a cup of coffee. Get a
box of chocolates. Go to an art
museum. Listen to some new
tunes. Some will call it denial
(and it may be, at least a little
bit), but I’ll call it self-care.
Relationships with others
can be fulfilling, frustrating,
fleeting and so much more —
but you are your own inevitable
constant. Embrace it.
REBECCA LERNER
Managing Editor
420 Maynard St.
Ann Arbor, MI 48109
tothedaily@michigandaily.com
Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan since 1890.
EMMA KINERY
Editor in Chief
ANNA POLUMBO-LEVY
and REBECCA TARNOPOL
Editorial Page Editors
Unsigned editorials reflect the official position of the Daily’s Editorial Board.
All other signed articles and illustrations represent solely the views of their authors.
Carolyn Ayaub
Megan Burns
Samantha Goldstein
Caitlin Heenan
Jeremy Kaplan
Max Lubell
Alexis Megdanoff
Madeline Nowicki
Anna Polumbo-Levy
Jason Rowland
Ali Safawi
Kevin Sweitzer
Rebecca Tarnopol
Ashley Tjhung
Stephanie Trierweiler
EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS
Michael Sugerman can be reached
at mrsuggs@umich.edu.
An open letter to President Schlissel
AUSTIN MCCOY | OP-ED
The importance of art
MARY KATE WINN | COLUMN
Mary Kate Winn can be reached at
winnm@umich.edu.
Austin McCoy is a Postdoctoral
Fellow in the Taubman College of
Architecture and Urban Planning.
MARY KATE
WINN
AUSTIN MCCOY
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SUGERMAN