Computer Writing and Research Lab | University of Texas at Austin

Instant Field Trip!! or the ongoing campus statuary debate

Submitted by laurasmith on September 26, 2007 - 12:16am

I know a number of us talk with our classes about UT's campus statuary. I like to take students on a little tour each semester, after looking at materials about the debate.

A particularly interesting document is former UT President Larry Faulker's "Comments on the Report of the Task Force on Racial Respect and Fairness" from May 10, 2004:

http://www.utexas.edu/president/speeches/rrf_051004.html
(See especially paragraphs 46-57)

Faulkner explains a bit about the original plan for the South Mall by sculptor Pompeo Coppini, (which is fairly unlike what we actually have). My students were also able to find further discussion and drawings by Coppini, though I've forgotten how they tracked that down.

I find that Faulkner is good at explaining multiple perspectives on the argument, and he goes on to propose some possible courses of action. (The piece is a very nice proposal argument.) The piece did a good job of helping students to really consider an issue that they tend, in my experience, to want to pass off fairly quickly as a whim of liberal "political correctness."

Anyway, there's currently a task force meeting about the issue. Here is the story about that, from Dec 2006:

Committee to Advise UT Leader on Statues
http://www.utexas.edu/diversity/ddce/utstatuesAAS.php

»

Statue Tour

Submitted by SarahJett on September 26, 2007 - 3:11pm.

Laura,

When you do this tour, how long does it take? Do you dedicate a class period to that? It seems like you'd have to. I'm interested in doing something like this. Do you tell them something about the statues on the tour, or do you just let the readings they do in preparation speak for themselves?

»

Tour details

Submitted by laurasmith on September 26, 2007 - 11:58pm.

The Faulkner reading explains, very very briefly, who each person is who's commemorated, though you have to somewhat tease out why those particular figures were selected and what the connection among all are.

I like to have students do some brief research about each figure (this works well in groups in a networked classroom, or it can be homework), so they're better able to think through the above questions. (Which is part of the fun!)

For the whole discussion, I devote at least two classes: one to discuss the Faulkner piece and one to take the tour (and it's helpful if they bring their research notes about the figures so discussion can ensue in adequate detail). The tour itself doesn't cover much area, so needn't necessarily take long; the way I do it, it's just the statues on South Mall and the Littlefield Fountain (which is, itself, a memorial).

»

UT Chavez statue news

Submitted by laurasmith on September 26, 2007 - 2:22pm.

Next week: unveiling of Chavez statue at UT, which has an interesting history of coming into being. This would make a good discussion/research topic for a rhetoric class.

"On behalf of our university community, you are cordially invited to attend the César E. Chávez Statue Unveiling and Dedication Ceremony to be held on Tuesday, October 9, 2007, 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on the Main Mall of The University of Texas at Austin campus. This student led initiative honors the life and legacy of this foremost civil rights leader.

For general information about the statue project including dedication activities and to RSVP on-line, please visit the project website: www.cesarchavezstatue.org. If you have additional questions or need further assistance, please contact the Office of the Dean of Students at 512.471.5017 or brune@mail.utexas.edu.

We hope you will join us for this historic occasion!"

»

More memorial news: NYT article about King memorial controversy

Submitted by laurasmith on September 26, 2007 - 2:32pm.

At the risk of having a very extensive conversation with myself in public here, I wanted to add one more thing from the recent national memorial conversation:

The NYT has a nice piece on its website now about the M. L. King, Jr. memorial to be erected in Washington, DC. Plans are now getting concrete (an artist has been chosen) after a full 40 years of controversy about when/where/how/why/if to commemorate King through a national memorial.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/24/arts/design/24statue.html?ref=design

Obviously, I love talking about memorials in rhetoric classes. The processes that go into selecting designs are always fascinating and the conversations about nation, community, history, memory, heroism, trauma, beliefs, and art that occur around them tend to be unusually public and well-documented and, well, "deep."

»