Author: Elizabeth S

Hello! My name is Elizabeth, and I'm a senior who enjoys writing about the presence of art in everyday life. Through this blog series, I'll be documenting my experience with creative writing, music, and more on campus. Enjoy!

Big Man

Elizabeth S 2 Comments

I don’t consider myself a poet. I’m more of a prose person, you see. I don’t know very much about the correct form of a poem, or about metrics and stanzas. I’ve never taken a class on poetry, though I hope to someday. I don’t even know what constitutes a poem as “good” or not.

What I do know, however, is that throughout my time at U of M, I’ve begun to enjoy reading and writing poetry. They’re more for myself, if anything, but I’ve started to fall into the habit of writing when stressed. Prose, poems, you name it. My lack of experience with the art form has caused me to be hesitant in sharing it. Without doing so, however, I’ll never receive the constructive feedback needed to grow; as such, I’ve started to share some of my poetry with my loved ones. With their encouragement, I finally have the courage to share something poem-like. As such, here I am, risking possible embarrassment and an inundation of angry comments.

Now, a little background information: I love my university, but coming here was a real shock. It’s not a secret that the University of Michigan has a wealthy student body; however, sometimes I wonder where the economic diversity and my fellow middle class (I guess lower middle class, by U of M standards) people are. Please note the VAST majority of people here, regardless of background, are very nice, polite people. But once in awhile, being at this university makes me wonder what causes students to treat others differently simply because of economic differences. You’re wealthy? I’m happy for you! Do you have airpods? Great! Live your life how you would like! These topics, while somewhat mentioned within the text below, are not the point; please know I’m not judging them, nor the people who those apply to.  Written during a frenzied two-hour span after work one day, this poem focuses on entitlement. Without further ado, I present the rant-like poem called “Big Man”.

 

Big Man

You donned air pods and a Canada Goose jacket

I guess you were ready to start up a racquet

Your wealth and goods were not the problem, you see

But rather the way you treat people like me

 

Did it make you feel good, Mister Big Man?

When you whispered to the guys in your clan

You spoke softly enough to not draw attention

But loudly enough for me to hear the mention

 

Where is your dignity? you asked

Your arrogance and scorn unmasked

Why would anyone work in a fast food place?

Oh, if you saw the expression on my face

 

At the table you left a huge mess

We should really clean up, one guy stressed

That’s their job, you snarkily replied

Your words insulting and utterly snide

 

You looked at me with disgust and laughed with your friends

I wondered why you couldn’t have just made amends

I guess you believed that you were superior

But the working class is far from inferior

 

That was the first of many meets

Whether in class or on the streets

Did you ever stop and truly see me, Big Man?

Not for what I can’t do, but for who I am?

 

I sat behind you and your friends in class one day

Sometimes I still can’t believe the things that you say

You boasted about the answers you stole

Had paid for and copied by the whole

 

You talked about your experiences in school

Explained how your parents had raised no fool

For they provided you with the best tutors and classes

Connections and opportunities by the masses

 

When you bragged about all your A’s and test scores

Did you realize how your resources opened doors?

I’m not neglecting your accomplishments, Big Man

But some other students just can’t have the same plan

 

I saw you again at my second job

This time without your buddies or friend mob

You came to pick up a package or two

But your orders were far from just a few

 

In the following weeks you ordered countless things

Hundreds of luxuries fit for dozens of kings

So many goods you’d forget what you purchased

And yet your impatience still frequently surfaced

 

Your suit was more important than her book

You would groan at the line with just one look

You wanted your name written across banners

But Daddy’s money couldn’t buy you manners

 

You admonished your peers for working

While you would judge them ever lurking

Nights where you got too drunk and blacked out

Featured students at jobs out and about

 

College admittance is one battle in the war of a lifetime

Believe it or not Mister Big Man, some students live dime by dime

With lower graduation rates and financial strain

For some students, studying is not the only pain

 

There are barriers for your peers of low-income

But to you those students will always be scum

All I am asking is a simple plea

Listen to me, hear me, can you see me?

 

There are plenty of privileged people, Big Man

The problem is not just that, do you understand?

It’s the entitlement, the sense of supremacy

The contempt and ignorance that become your legacy

 

I’m glad your parents support your education, Big Man

But the reality is that not everyone’s parents can

It’s not a bad thing to be privileged or “the best”

But it can be when others are actively oppressed

 

As such, this is my last message for you

Fix your attitude, be aware, be true

Treat others with kindness and use your influence

To stop the poverty cycle’s continuance

Yuru-chara and the Tokyo 2020 Mascots

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What in the world is ゆるキャラ, or yuru-chara?

Directly translated, yuru-chara (and the full terminology: yurui kyarakutaa) means “loose” or “laid back” characters. These characters are mascots that embody numerous Japanese regions, organizations, and more. The characters, often endearing and cutesy in nature, appeal to residents and foreigners alike.

Visually, yuru-chara have some sort of visual connection to the location or organization they represent. They also have a background story and specific traits that make them unique. For example, the official mascot for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, Miraitowa, is named after the Japanese words mirai (future) and towa (eternity). According to the Olympic website, the name “was chosen to promote a future full of eternal hope in the hearts of people all over the world.” The mascot’s indigo blue checkered-like pattern represents the Tokyo 2020 emblems, while its personality is said to be based on an old Japanese proverb reflecting on new knowledge gained from old things. Miraitowa even has the super power of teleportation to compliment the mascot’s dedication to both tradition and innovation.

On the flip side, the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games mascot, Someity, has telepathic powers. Someity’s name comes from “Someiyoshino”, a type of Japanese cherry blossom, and the phrase “so mighty”. The mascot’s pink color was inspired by cherry blossoms, while the character’s gentle yet tough personality represents that of determined Paralympic athletes.

It’s evident that a great deal of thought is put into the design and story behind yuru-charas. From a business standpoint, the rising demand for yuru-charas is great for building a following. The beloved characters draw fans in at events, conferences, and more. As such, many characters even have their own social media profiles! With their cute designs and cultural motifs, it’s no surprise for their rising popularity in promoting tourism and economic development for the companies, local governments, and organizations they represent.

Has this article piqued your interest in yuru-charas? This year, U of M’s own Center for Japanese Studies (CJS) is actually hosting a contest for people to design their own yuru-charas! Anyone can enter, and the chosen design will be the next face of the Center for Japanese Studies. Click this link to enter and find out more.

For More Information:

Click here for articles about yuru-chara from The Japan Times, and click here for more information about the Tokyo 2020 Mascots.

WoVAD – What is it?

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Women’s Vocal Arts Day, or WoVAD, is an annual choral symposium featuring The University of Michigan’s Women’s Glee Club (WGC) and various high school choruses from the surrounding areas. The day is filled with fun vocal warm-ups, choral workshops, and social activities. Up to 500 high students from around Michigan are invited to this event.

This year, WoVAD took place on Saturday, January 11th. While inclement weather threatened attendance, the day was enjoyable and educational for all that took part. High school soprano and alto voices were assembled into groups led by one or two WGC members of the same part. Throughout breaks, each group played ice breakers before returning their attention to the director, Dr. Julie Skadsem, and their repertoire. The students, both in high school and WGC, learned new songs such as Weep No More by David N. Childs and Water Fountain by Tune-Yards.

While the day was fun and relatively relaxed, preparing for the event required a great deal of communication, commitment, and organization. The WoVAD Coordinator for this year, Fiona Lynch, started planning months in advance. Lynch, a sophomore in the college of LSA, applied for the position last year at the end of her second semester in WGC. To her, the concept of sharing a day in song with students from all around Michigan–including those who could possibly be future Glee members–was very cool.  She wanted to be a part of making it happen, which is exactly what she did:

“Getting to make music with so many awesome people in high school and college was really cool. The hardest part of the event was the storm warnings the day before and the day of, which required reorganizing a lot of things. Luckily, all of the WGC members worked together so well in spite of the weather to make the event a success!”

– Fiona Lynch, 2019-2020 WoVAD Coordinator

The WoVAD vocalists finished the day by presenting a joint concert with the Men’s Glee Club, who sponsored the Male Vocal Arts Day, or MVAD. Just like WoVAD, MVAD invited high school choruses to learn vocal technique and perform with the collegiate singers. The concert, which took place in the historic Hill Auditorium, featured songs learned throughout the day as well selections from past U of M Glee Club concerts. Midnight Blue and The Friars, a cappella subsets of WGC and MGC, also performed.

Without my choral experiences throughout middle and high school, I never would have auditioned for Women’s Glee Club. The choral arts were a huge part of my life throughout grade school, which is why I get excited about events such WoVAD. Overall, the day presented an opportunity for young adults of different ages and hometowns to share in musicality and the arts. I truly enjoyed spending the day sharing music with all the talented vocalists involved, and I look forward to next year!

To learn more about The University of Michigan Women’s Glee Club or inquire about WoVAD registration, visit this website.

Winter Break Beginnings

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Today is December 20th. What is its significance? Last week, some lucky students already finished final exams, projects, and essays, so it seemed like winter break had already started. For many others, however,  the past few days were full of cram sessions, late nights, and more, leading up to the end of the semester. Today marks the last day of examinations, last day in the dorms, and last day of the 2019 fall semester. I hope everyone’s finals went well, but now that they’re over, I’m looking forward to winter break.

What are your plans for the next two-three weeks? I’m sure for many students, more sleep is one thing to look forward to. If you need more reasons to appreciate the time away from school, I’ve compiled a list of reasons why winter break is so great.

  1. You can take a break from studying and homework.
    • The relief that washed over my face after I finished my last final was only matched by the nervousness of viewing my final grades. Finals are awful, but they mark the end of the semester, which means no assignments over winter break! Take that much-needed studying hiatus to catch up on things you enjoy, like sleep.
  2. You get to spend time with family.
    • Okay, maybe you’re not the biggest fan of your somewhat annoying second cousin or your excruciatingly nosy aunt, but the holiday season is the perfect time to be with loved ones. I love my UM family here in Ann Arbor, but I appreciate the time to be at home with my parents. I also look forward to playing board games with my extended family, watching the new Star Wars film with my siblings, and simply enjoying the company of loved ones.
  3. There’s plenty of delicious food.
    • Yes, we all love those dining hall tendies – there’s even a student-made website for keeping track of when and where chicken tenders are being served. However, the home cooked meals and occasional restaurant excursions (courtesy of the parents, of course) have been missed. During winter break, there are plenty of cookies and specialty foods due to the holidays. That goes for beverages, as well. I can’t wait to look like Baby Yoda all cuddled up with a blanket and mug of hot chocolate. 🙂
  4. There’s time for hobbies you’ve missed.
    • College life is busy life. I used to LOVE reading in my free time, but when someone asks me what book I’ve read recently, nothing but textbooks come to mind. Winter break provides a bit of free time to catch up on all the hobbies you’ve missed while you’ve been busy studying, working, and doing all those extracurricular activities. Some of my friends have already lined up the shows to binge watch before returning to campus in January, while others are preparing to get down to business with arts and crafts.
  5. It’s the holiday season.
    1. The next two weeks feature numerous holidays, including Hanukkah, Kwanza, and more. As someone who celebrates Christmas, I always love this time of year. Colorful lights, Christmas music, and family gatherings are some of my favorites parts of the season. Whatever festivities you celebrate during break, I wish you happy holidays!

 

What’s your favorite winter break activity? Comment below!

Echoes of Identity

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A while back, one of my blog posts focused on the topic of race in drama. The inspiration for that discussion were my experiences in a class that—here’s a big surprise—examined race in drama. The class? RCHUMS 390: Contemporary Plays on Race in America.

When you think of plays by American playwrights, you might think of plays such as Tony Kushner’s Angels in America or Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman. These works are often considered examples of America’s greatest plays—Arthur Miller was a U of M graduate, after all—so your thought process would be understandable. What I challenge you to do, however, is to consider reading or learning about American plays by playwrights of color.

As my professor, Kate Mendeloff, was exploring contemporary plays a few years ago, she discovered that some of the most poignant and interesting works she came across were written by playwrights of color surrounding topics such as race and disparity. Inspired by the discovery, she created the class to bring attention to talented playwrights of color and their works.

Just as the title suggests, my drama class had us study contemporary plays on race in America and other works by playwrights of color. The course included reading works representing a variety of identities, discussing them in class, and acting out scenes from several of the plays. It was interesting analyzing how the characters’ racial and ethnic identities impacted their stories and interactions with other characters. Immigration, drug addiction, and intercultural relationships were some of the topics addressed by the plays in class. They also tackled a variety of time periods and issues, such as the 1967 Detroit riots (Spirit of Detroit by Mercilee Jenkins, Detroit ’67 by Dominique Morisseau).

Facing Our Truth: Ten Minute Plays on Trayvon, Race and Privilege was a collection of plays written by six diverse playwrights as a reaction to the George Zimmerman verdict, while Flint by SMTD faculty member and playwright José Casas explored the water crisis through narratives based on the people affected by the city’s tragedy.

As our final project, our class presented a public performance to feature what we learned and worked on throughout the semester. Some students presented original monologues that illustrated personal experiences on race and privilege, while others presented mashups of monologues from Lorraine Hansberry’s famous A Raisin in the Sun and Joshua Harmon’s plays titled Admissions and Bad Jews. There were also scenes excerpted from plays read in class, like Pilgrims Musa and Sheri in the New World by Yussef El Guindi.

Overall, the class was both enjoyable and educational. I challenge you to give one of the mentioned plays a try and comment your reaction below!

 

Photo Credit: Robby Griswold

Check out the RC for more classes and awesome opportunities!

My First Semester in Women’s Glee Club

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This past Sunday on November 17th, The University of Michigan Women’s Glee Club (WGC) presented “Be the Light Home,” a fall concert surrounding themes of compassion and circling back home. The community-driven concert was a great finish to my first semester in Women’s Glee Club. As such, I thought this week’s post would be a great opportunity to reflect on my experiences in the group so far.

Auditioning for the ensemble was initially nerve-wracking, but I am so, so glad I did. Since I was a child I have enjoyed singing, whether on my own or in church choirs. Throughout middle and high school I sang in my school’s choirs, my favorite being my high school’s smaller, auditioned choir. Before this year, however, I had never sang in an all-girls choir. While I had been a Soprano 2 for certain songs before, I had always been in an SATB choir comprised of soprano, alto, tenor, and bass vocal parts. Transitioning to SSAA—which has two distinct soprano sections and two distinct alto sections—was different but fun.

Founded in 1893, the Women’s Glee Club has a long, rich history, one that has impacted countless members of the university community. With hundreds of alumnae and around 80 current members, I’m ecstatic to have joined the ranks of such talented women. Women’s Glee Club features students with a variety of majors and interests, from voice performance to molecular biology. One of the great things about Women’s Glee Club is that it allows students to continue to sing in college while studying as a non-music major. Students from all backgrounds have the opportunity to sing in a collegiate choir through WGC, something I’ve enjoyed since being a member of RC Singers last year.

Women’s Glee Club is also a wonderful place to meet new people. I’ll admit, when I first heard the motto “Sisterhood, Song, and Strength,” I was a little skeptical. I was baffled by the concept of “Bigs/Littles” and “points.” Getting a sorority-esque vibe, I was perplexed by how a choir, especially one structured for academic credit, could achieve the same level of networking and bonding as a sorority or other organizations; however, I understood quickly WGC has so many events and aspects outside of the typical rehearsal. I’ve particularly enjoyed “Blues,” where WGC members go from tailgate to tailgate on game days and sing school spirit songs (Yellow and Blue, The Victors, etc.).

Overall, I’ve enjoyed my time in Women’s Glee Club so far and look forward to next semester!

 

Link to the official website for The University of Michigan Women’s Glee Club

Image design by Anna Sharp Chewter