Cat cafe comes to town Get your heart purring with Chapel Hill’s soon- arriving business, featured on p. 5. 125 YEARS OF SERVING UNC STUDENTS AND THE UNIVERSITY MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2018 VOLUME 126, ISSUE 34 A post-Silent Sam look at UNC public art Art pieces add to debate over what public art has meant and what it will look like By Maeve Sheehey Arts & Entertainment Assistant Editor Silent Sam is down, a giant spi- der stands in front of the New West building and people are questioning what UNC’s changing landscape says about the campus. While some say Silent Sam should be protected because of its artistic value, others argue that it makes a negative political statement. Additional controversial art pieces add to the debate over what public art has meant in the past and what it will look like going forward at UNC. The changing nature of pub- lic art UNC has added several statues and monuments since Silent Sam’s install- ment in 1913, including a ram statue meant to honor student athletes and the Unsung Founders Memorial, a table dedicated to “the people of color bound and free who helped build the Carolina that we cherish today.” Cary Levine, an associate professor of contemporary art, said the public art of recent years is becoming more likely to represent broader communi- ties of people and social movements, rather than specific figures. “I think that in terms of our ideas of what we’re memorializing, we’ve really moved past the idea of the great individual, the genius — and often those people are the great white male genius — as the epito- me of some kind of achievement, or DTH/HALEY HODGES some kind of victory, or some kind of accomplishment,” Levine said. to different people?” of monuments and works of art, even think is interesting because yes, Controversial art on campus The way in which artists memori- Daniel Sherman, a professor of art ones that represent specific figures, that monument is dedicated to her alize historical events and groups has history, said a major turning point in has broadened over time to commem- memory, but it also is universalized One of the University’s first monu- also changed because more artists are commemorative art occurred with to include all students who have ments was erected in 1837 as a memo- focused on challenging and question- the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in “There are a lot of empty died while they were here,” Marr rial to Joseph Caldwell, a UNC presi- ing the viewer’s ideas with their work, Washington, D.C., in 1982. Sherman pedestals where monu- said. “And I think that’s a trend in dent. When a newer monument was rather than just presenting a single said the memorial was “deliberately commemoration.” dedicated to him in 1858, the UNC perspective, Levine said. non-representational” and influenced ments have been removed Marr said additional examples Class of 1891 moved the original one “I think we have been thinking later public art, including the Alumni all over the world...” of universalized commemoration to his slave, Wilson Caldwell’s, grave. about, as a culture, the idea that a Memorial in Memory of Those Lost in include the museum in Andersonville, After it was moved, the original memorial often is something that is Military Service located at UNC. Daniel Sherman G.A., which is now dedicated to monument was dedicated to Wilson one perspective on history,” Levine “You’re less likely to see individ- UNC professor of art and history all prisoners of war throughout Caldwell, his father, November said. “And this is something that artists uals and allegorical symbols, and American history, and the National Caldwell, David Barham and Henry who are producing memorials today more likely to see more abstract orate a wider scope of people. He said Underground Railroad Freedom Smith. Barham and Smith were also have grappled with — how do you work or work that represents peo- the Eve Carson Memorial Garden, Center in Cincinnati, which is dedi- Black servants to the University. memorialize something at a moment ple but not specifics,” Sherman said. dedicated in 2010 after her murder, cated to the global cause of “unfree- The Class of 1891 placed a plaque in history when history is a complex Timothy Marr, a professor of is an example of this broader trend. dom” and connects history to current on the monument that commend- thing and might mean different things American studies, said the dedication “The Eve Carson monument I enslavement issues. SEE PUBLIC ART, PAGE 7 DeVos seeks to rescind Obama-era policies on sexual misconduct The new policies will change have an appeals process and would add to comply with Title IX and to ensure Unlike Obama’s guidance, the demanded colleges use the lowest the ability for victims and the accused safety and equity in all programs and Trump administration’s new rules can standard of proof, “preponderance how univiersities handle to request evidence and cross-examine activities provided by the University.” go into law without an act of Congress of the evidence,” when determining sexual misconduct cases each other, said Elizabeth Boyle, an The investigation was launched after a public comment period. if a student is responsible for sexual organizer for Know Your IX. in 2013 sparked by a complaint “This is all premature,” Clark said. assault. A preponderance of the evi- By Cailyn Derickson “Put that very simply, that means filed by four former UNC students, “We can speculate, but the concrete dence requires more than 50 percent Senior Writer your rapist may now be your interro- along with former administrator thing we do know is that there is of the evidence point to the accused’s gator,” she said. Melinda Manning. In June, the U.S. something in the pipeline, and stu- alleged actions. U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy But after a five-year federal inves- Department of Education’s Office for dents will have an opportunity to DeVos’ interim guidance allowed DeVos is preparing new policies that tigation that found UNC in violation Civil Rights identified UNC’s viola- comment and they should raise their universities to abandon the standard will change how universities handle of Title IX in June, the suggested tion and agreed on terms to correct voices when there is that opportunity.” and adopt the higher standard known sexual misconduct cases, The New guidelines could spell a new era for the practices. Boyle said once the advised regula- as “clear and convincing evidence.” York Times reported on Wednesday. the University’s practices dealing Manning, along with fellow com- tions are made public, there will be a The new regulations would continue The news left students, activists and with sexual assault. plainants Annie Clark and Andrea time frame of 60 to 90 days to submit to allow schools to choose the eviden- university administrations unsure of Adrienne Allison, director of Title Pino, appeared in “The Hunting official comments to the DOE. KYIX tiary standard, according to the Times. the future of Title IX. IX compliance at UNC, said in a Ground,” a 2015 documentary about has a guide on its website on how to “The nature of sexual assault, I get According to the Times, DeVos’ statement the University is aware of sexual assault on college campuses. write and submit comments. it,” Hadley Heath-Manning, director of proposed rules would tighten the The New York Times story. The news about the proposed pol- “We’re dealing possibly with the policy for the Independent Women’s definition of sexual harassment, “Once the changes are officially icies comes almost a year after DeVos revocation of our rights,” she said. “We Forum and UNC grad, said. “It’s hard- leaving schools responsible only for put forward by the Department of rescinded the Obama administra- have to ignite that light under students er to prove what happened behind harassment cases involving a formal Education for public comment, we will tion’s 2011 Dear Colleague Letter, and tell them this is their moment to closed doors. It’s often the case that complaint and sexual misconduct review them to determine the poten- which outlined the enforcement of have their voices heard and make sure two parties involved in an encounter that occurred on campus. tial impact on University policy and Title IX policies at higher education for them and students to come, school have two stories about what happened, The prospective rules would leave it procedures,” she said. “In the mean- institutions. Until now, schools have will be a safer place.” to schools to decide whether or not to time, we continue our ongoing work relied on DeVos’ interim guidance. The Obama-era guidelines SEE TITLE IX, PAGE 7 I’m gonna munch ... I’m gonna crunch ... @LEFTATLONDON 2 Monday, September 3, 2018 News The Daily Tar Heel Q&A with Carolina Performing Arts’ Amanda Graham What does it mean to be a citizen? DTH: How did this event get started? season’s themes but also express what CURRENT ArtSpace + Studio and community, citizenship, and co-create Carolina Performing Arts will be host- AG: I’d like to think of this event as one mean to their groups, respectively. ing Stories on Citizenship on Sept. 8. that is created by community groups, The event will have performances by and a lot of students have influenced DTH: What types of stories will the various community groups and will its direction as well. This season at event consist of? offer discourse on citizenship and Carolina Performing Arts is called “You community by some UNC students.