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THE ANTIOCHIAN WINTER 2020 Leader Ngaged Citiz of E Ensh Act Ip THE ANTIOCHIAN WINTER 2020 Leader ngaged citiz of e ensh act ip. an ead to grow is lf. R pro g ese fes in n si d e o engthe on a t o str n dem a e ca d t o ll R u ea cr y d R ac . R e y. e o a t d d t a o e b R u i l d e m p a t PROVOST h y . COMMENCEMENT ADDRESS CHAMPIONS READING AS A CORNERSTONE OF DEMOCRACY The Graduate School of Leadership and Change (GSLC) recognized 20 new PhD in Leadership and Change graduates during its 2019 commencement ceremony this summer. GSLC Provost Dr. Laurien TAlexandre initiated the event with a meaningful commencement speech that highlighted the power of reading as an act of engaged democratic citizenship and charged graduates and those in attendance to “go out and read” to learn, to grow personally and professionally, to expand horizons, to build empathy and in doing so, to strengthen democracy. We hope you enjoy the piece in its entirety! 2 | ANTIOCH UNIVERSITY “Today as always in these Graduate This train of thought began when I read Bottom line, for Mann like Unamuno School Commencement speeches, I a brief quote from Spanish intellectual and others, there is nothing as costly as speak to issues that relate to Antioch’s and writer, Miguel de Unamuno, who ignorance. And, that’s why those who mission ‘to teach the knowledge and died in 1936 after living years under want to control what others think and skills to empower our graduates to house arrest and exile for using his do, try to control reading. Think about lead meaningful lives and advance public voice and writings to condemn that. Dictators know an illiterate crowd social, economic and environmental the Spanish dictatorships. Unamuno is the easiest to rule, thus the history of justice. Specifically the Graduate wrote “Fascism is cured by reading reading is replete with book bannings School’s purpose is to educate and and racism is cured by travel.” For him, and burnings. Perhaps the most train scholars to inquire into the fascism meant ignorance…and racism ingrained in our recent memories are thorny issues of our time ….. and to was the close-minded expression of fear. the bonfires across embolden their passion for creating So…imagine, reading just those ELEVEN World War II research, scholarship, and practice that words sent me on a four-month quest to Germany, contributes to the common good. So read everything I could about reading… let me share a few thoughts. from Socrates to Twitter and then to bring it home to us. Don’t worry, I’m not going to recount all 10 books and Join I usually tell graduates during this speech to go forth and be bold 16 articles I devoured on this 4-month engaged scholar-practitioners. To do journey…. because some of you – at powerful research, to write meaningful least those in the front row, want to get Us for books and blogs, to speak passionately hooded, and those in the audience want about the causes you value. I still want to celebrate and go home. to tell you that. But today I am going a Visit! to tell you to go out and read. No At Commencement, I typically go question, you’ve learned that habit in back to Horace Mann, Antioch’s We welcome you to join us your years in the program. A forced founding president – so let’s start for an upcoming campus habit I might add. You had over 20 there. Mann’s statue on the Boston required readings for every residency, State House lawn shows him holding a visit or webinar session! so ballpark 180-200 books, articles or book. That’s intentional. Mann believed chapters in preparation for your nine that education – tax-supported Learn more and residencies. Dozens of citations were public education - could ultimately register today! required for Learning Achievements; eliminate poverty, and unite a society and for the Critical Review of Research fragmented by class, race and gender. WWW.ANTIOCH.EDU/GSLC in particular, you looked at 100s of His revolutionary idea - one that STILL abstracts to cull down to 50 peer- seems contested today – was that a reviewed articles for a deep read. And high level of general education for your dissertations? Taking five random women and men, majority and minority dissertations published this year, you - was good for all. Mann believed that incinerating read a total of 350 books, 520 articles, reading books could inspire students the texts of Freud and 50 websites, blog, white papers. That’s and open minds. “A house without Einstein, the books of Marx and Lenin, A LOT of reading. I am also thrilled to books,” he wrote, “is like a room the novels of Steinbeck, Hemingway, tell you that YOUR dissertations WILL without windows.” It isn’t surprising and so many more. They say over a BE READ….and not just by your family Mann believed in the power of reading. million books were burned in those and closest friends. A large percent of He drew heavily from Transendentalists, years. I remember living in Franco’s our program’s dissertations have had like Ralph Waldo Emerson who thought Spain in the mid-1970s and my Spanish between 1,000 to 6,000 downloads; reading was at the core of engaged friends hid their banned books in my Imagine that, 6,000 interested readers democratic citizenship and a necessary apartment lest there be a raid on their worldwide contemplating your words. counterweight to blind allegiance and homes. I recall their palpable fear ignorance. I’m sure if they were alive crossing town with their satchel full of books bringing them to my ‘safe’ So why am I talking about reading today both would argue that reading lodging, after all, I was a foreigner, I today? As many of you know….I am an was a necessary counterweight to was an American. I have never been avid reader of historical novels, and the lies that currently fill our public afraid of what I read. current events, and critical theory…. discourse. Theirs was a vision of human But that is not the reason. It is because potential tied to learning how to read – reading is essential for a healthy words and the world differently, a way In his fabulous History of Reading, democracy. to develop the imaginative capacity to Alberto Manguel recounted how during put oneself in the place of others and his high school years, the Argentine to develop empathy and rise above military government censored and self-interest. Graduate School of Leadership and Change | 3 banned books. It became dangerous for burning LBGTQ books from the to be seen in cafes or streets with the public library live on Facebook. poems of Pablo Neruda or books by Now Steinbeck. The very fact of being in Yes, these are one-offs but they are possession of a book was sufficient frightening reminders of what can Accepting grounds for imprisonment or worse. happen to democracies. So what is the Let’s look in our own country. state of reading these days? Reading is Applications at risk, whether from reader apathy or We aren’t immune to efforts to from zealots’ zeal. The US ranks # 22nd for the PHD deny the freedom to read to others. of all countries in terms of the average Slave owners were concerned that reading hours per week. India and and MLP! a “literate black population” might Thailand top with about 10 hours. The find dangerous ideas in books and if US sits at less than 3.5 hours a week. Application review will slaves could read the Bible, then they The US ranks as only the 7th most continue throughout the could also read abolitionists’ texts literate country in the world - quantified and be inspired by notions of revolt by # of libraries, newspapers, years of spring until the cohorts in and possibilities of freedom. Some schooling, computer availability and both programs are filled. states still had laws up to the mid- so forth. And, according to National 1800s that forbade all blacks, whether Endowment of the Arts recent report, slaves or free men (Iet alone women) less than half of all US adults read even For more information contact to be taught to read. More recently, one book a year if it isn’t for work or [email protected] literacy tests were embedded in voter school in 2017. If you believe reading registration processes throughout is an essential practice of engaged the Jim Crow South to deny African democratic citizenship, these trends Americans the right to vote; And are disheartening at best and are bilingual ballots weren’t commonly deeply frightening at worst—it should available until the mid 1970s making be applauded and encouraged. English-only ballots a de facto literacy test for Spanish-speaking citizens. The access created by technology Imagine –the right to vote depended makes it all the more imperative to on the right to read. During the teach people HOW to read, which 1950's Cold War, the American Library Emerson said was the second hardest Association felt compelled to issue task; the first was to teach people HOW a public statement ‘defending the to think. The fact is– no matter where GSLC freedom to read’ and fought proposals or when by what device in what format to burn textbooks perceived as - READ WE MUST. Despite the ineffective Scholarship insufficiently patriotic. banning and showcase bonfires, ideas don’t burn and books rise again.
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