THEBENNINGTON Vol. 12 No. 4 October 31, 2009 TheBY SARAH Sr. LIFERLiz '10 Coleman Interview . EDITOR-IN-CHIEF . faculty on a regular basis about :,; how to think about what we were Sarah St. Lifer: Back in 2004, after in the Democracy Project, Editors Jim and Zubin asked why and CAPA became an even more journalism had been neglected for compelling way of thinking about so long. Do you still agree with it. It's really the continuum. The you response that, "journalism issues that the Democracy Proj­ is an arguable, disputable under­ ect was after are things that are graduate major ... I'm interested in more explicitly central in CAPA. journalism not in the way you're The point wasn't to learn about talking about it ... interested democracy like another subject, in it as an issue. The media and it was to use the framework of the role of journalism and how to democracy as a means to recon­ think about what it is." Journal- figure ways of looking at an edu­ ism has changed since 2004, has cation and to give certain things your opinion about the field as a much more importance. For ex­ study changed as well? ample, the three questions for the Democracy Project remain the Image Courtesy TED.com Liz Coleman: I'm very excited three central questions for CAPA: didn't presume he knew. He was that it's building. I think of it, journalism can be crass, vulgar What kind of a world are we mak­ actually investigating the first and always have, as one of the and stupid, but that is true of any­ ing? What kind of a world should penal system, but what he found thing. great arts (the art of the journal­ we be making? What kind of a himself doing was discovering ist). Tocqueville, when he came world can we be making? The America. Great journalism is the to America, came as a journalist, SSL: How closely linked ideo­ framework is larger, different, but capacity to find out what matters logically are CAPA and the De­ and Democracy in America­ it is absolutely the same spirit, the and then to know how to go af­ which is considered one of the mocracy Project? What are the same purpose, the same objec- ter it: not to know before you get differences, besides the actual greatest works ever written about tives. there. The idea that journalism is building? this country-was written by a diminished version of the uses somebody who came as a journal­ SSL: I wanted to speak to you of intellect and imagination is, LC: Really, CAPA is what the about the decisions not to rehire ist and acted as a journalist. And to me, a gross misunderstanding. Democracy Project morphed into. certain faculty members ... what that means is that he came Which is not to say that it isn't, It emerged in the conversations to find out what mattered. He like everything else, abused. Yes, I was having with students and Continued On Page 5 Faculty Forum ''SPAM'' eMail mng, academic programs, faculty BY HELENE GAGN ON '13 proximately one third of the Col­ NEWS EDITOR leaves of absence, curriculum, lege faculty losing their positions. and academic budgeting- to ap­ ust as Long Weekend In 1996 a number of said faculty 'During2007-08 the propriate entities, including but was coming to a close, filed a lawsuit against the col­ academic not limited to the faculty, presi­ Jcontroversy seized the lege, which was settled in 2000. year, the dent, provost and dean, and ex­ Bennington College The Board justified the firings in faculty initiated a series of meet­ ecutive vice-president." Campus in the form of an email the Symposium Report, stating ings, called Faculty Forum, de­ While some of these projects, (what else, in this age of moder­ that the college was experienc­ signed to discuss a variety of outlined as the activities of the nity?) sent out to all students, ing "a growing attachment to the issues of importance to the fac­ APC- were not an open conversa­ faculty, and staff, apparently from status quo that, if unattended, is ulty." Without any policy on the tion for all faculty, but only elect­ "Bennington College Senior Staff lethal to Bennington's purpose table from administration, and a ed representatives, some voices & Board of Trustees." The email and pedagogy." The Symposium change coming in the curriculum, needed to be heard. The Faculty opens with a declaration that "the and its subsequent reorganization a forum there was needed for dis- Forum is also democratic, but can New Liberal Arts is an unparal­ created uproar among students, cussing the issues many· faculty act as an .intermediary between leled beacon to guide Academia, faculty, and the media. members were talking about in the private conversations, and the United States, and the World." The email unashamedly criti­ private. In order to make their the representative body of fewer The email defines the ideology cizes the apparent distancing of conversations public and trans­ voices (APC), which can research of the Liberal Arts as a pursuit the administration, saying that parent, the Faculty Forum was and present ideas and possibilities of '"Educating for Personal and Bennington is a "difficult place created. "Faculty members of that come from faculty in every Social Responsibility' reform in which to sustain sufficient bu­ the Academic Policies Commit­ comer of this campus. In outlin­ initiative ... We [the Senior Staff reaucratic remove. Without this tee (APC) initiated the discussion ing the Faculty Forum, its mem­ & Board of Trustees] grudgingly distance, we are met by great [around the development of such bers wrote: "The function of the admit this mission is harmonious challenge when it comes time BenningtonFreePress a group]" says Robert Ransick, Faculty Forum is two-fold: with our goals." to renovate the roster of campus 1College Drive professor of Digital Arts. For 1). To provide a forum for The author continues, "Our personnel," going on to lament many, the Faculty Forum was open discussion of issues of con­ [the administration's] first at­ recent administrative decisions BenningtonCollege "a way to communicate" when cern to the faculty. tempt to hot-wire the College in regarding the "squeez[ing] of Bennington,VT05201 VT communication was· lacking. The 2) To provide a mechanism 1993 resulted in a sustained peri­ union health benefits." The email Academic Policies Committee is through which issues of concern od of abysmal attendance and dis­ concludes, "To effectively dis­ composed of an elected faculty may be brought to the attention of couraging press. It is not without pose of the despairing, indiffer­ contact@ chair, six other elected faculty the administration and the greater irony we have entitled the CAPA ent body of the school as it was, benningtonfreepress.commembers, one elected faculty al­ college community. council room 'The Symposium."' we will be renaming the college. ternate, the president (ex officio), Before the creation of this The Symposium, for those un­ We hereby open a campus-wide 802.440. 4544 the provost and dean (ex officio), platform for discussion, there awares, was the 1993 decision by contest in search of the best new and the executive vice president was not a need for such a group, the Board of Trustees to initiate nomenclature." for finance and administration (ex policies and changes were dramatic reform within the Col­ Though many were intrigued, officio)." The APC "reviews and presented by the administrative lege- most notably, to introduce bemused, and perhaps offended makes recommendations con­ body, to the APC , who reviewed a new policy regarding faculty by the email' s acerbic satire and cerning matters of academic pol­ them, and brought them to the tenure known as the experimental harsh claims, what provoked a icy- including long-term plan- Continued On Page 4 contract system, resulting in ap- Continued On Page 4 L 2 Vol. 12 No. 4 > October, 31 2009 > THE BENNINGTON FREE PRESS Race and Prejudice in America: Judge Refuses to Marry Interracial Couple in 2009 BY SAFIYA SINCLAIR '10 Apparently Bardwell makes a ago, and make legal decisions Supreme Court in 1967 in the ever he or she wished: Vo1cEsEo1roR habit of his actions, by a screen­ based on his personal prejudice. landmark case of Loving v. Vir­ ing process-he initially asks ev­ "That was one thing that made ginia, and the law was overturned "My generation was bitterly wo weeks ago in Loui­ eryone who calls about marriage this so unbelievable," Humphrey unanimous!y on June 12, 1967, divided over something that siana, a justice of the T if they are a mixed race couple, said. "It's not something you ex­ declaring that "the freedom to should have been so clear and peace named · Keith and if they are, he does not marry pect in this day and age." marry has long been recognized right. The majority believed that Bardwell turned away an inter­ them. It was after years of obser­ Such outspoken prejudice is as one of the vital personal rights what the judge said, that it was racial couple seeking a marriage vation, Bardwell claims, that he not expected in this day and age, essential to the orderly pursuit of God's plan to keep people apart, license, refusing to issue the doc­ came to the conclusion that "most but I also did not expect to come happiness by free men." and that government should dis­ ument because of his ''concern of black society does not read­ to an open-minded Liberal Arts So any prejudicial statute criminate against people in love.