Comments on: Today in Anchorage

By: Kim

Kim — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 19:01:05 +0000

I went yesterday to see/hear the closing of Pro. Mariano’s exhibit. After thanking APU for putting up with the exhibit for so long, he pointed out that it was probably time for it to come down. One of the points he was trying to get across is that we need open dialog about controversial issues. He’d asked people to write comments AND sign their names– not hide reactive or vitriolic or unthinking responses behind anonymous postings read mostly by others with matching viewpoints–but bring thoughtful discourse out into the open. It seems initially, that those who were adding comments were complying and signing, however Mariano noted that there were now many unsigned rants (my wording) and that was not what he intended.

Mr. Munger’s performance was stirring and then they moved on to flag folding. I had to leave at this point to pick up my children, but it seems that there were several who were experienced at flag folding and were going to teach others the proper way to do so– to show respect. I had a feeling, and would be curious to find out if my hunch was correct, that the man who posted this: http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_hWAVXHNngbk/StaFCzybI5I/AAAAAAAAFXE/dTVxveOM5II/s1600-h/Last+Full+Day+of+ was in attendance and helping to lead the flag folding.

By: Writing from Alaska

Writing from Alaska — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 03:16:15 +0000

Art display gone by 6 PM – just the artist’s statement – nada mas.

By: Moose Pucky

Moose Pucky — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 22:11:29 +0000

“Changing Paths”–just the thing to hunker down with as winter’s darkness moves in on us. Thanks.

By: terpsichore

terpsichore — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 20:10:30 +0000

John#3:”When did the university get into censorship anyway?”

When entering high school students who never had the opportunity to take arts classes because they were all cut out of the curriculum because of budget reasons and whose parents gave them everything including a big sense of entitlement and often insisted that their child be taught nothing that contradicted anything they believed and so therefore the students entered college without any sense of understanding that the college experience is all about opening up the mind to new ideas and so rather they take offense at said same new ideas way too easily and file complaints with the University administration.

That’s when universities got into censorship.

Oh …. that was a rhetorical question, wasn’t it.

Still, it generated what is probably the longest sentence I’ve ever written. I know, it’s a run-on and wouldn’t get a good grade in a paper.

But it is actually fun to try to read it out loud in one breath.

I can, just barely, if I do it fast enough. (obviously, you can see I have nothing better to do right now …)

By: Meredith

Meredith — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 20:02:36 +0000

This may seem a bit off topic, but here goes anyway. I have been thinking a lot about the colossal waste of money that will be spent buying SP’s book, and whose pocketses it will be going into.
I would like to suggest that people consider spending that money on something that would help so many people: services for returning and returned veterans that cannot be covered by the VA. I think of service dogs, social clubs, community reintegration. This is only a beginning.
or: services for people with disabilities, maybe for people with Down Syndrome, such as mainstreaming services, housing, social opportunities, education.
If you must read the book, get it out of the library!

By: John

John — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 19:39:08 +0000

Yes, that installation is quite inappropriate! Why, who failed to allow such an atrocity to be erected in the first place?
Take this so called artist to re-education. How dare anyone question the divine motivations of the United States of America!

*Sarcasm. Either you get it, or you don’t. When did the university get into censorship anyway? Oh, dumb question- sorry*

By: prisonernumbersix

prisonernumbersix — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 18:10:45 +0000

AKM Thank you for the heads up on Mr. Sherwonit’s new book. I would head straight out to the book launch, but Pittsburgh is a little far to make it in person! – and Title Wave is my favorite book store! I guess that’s what computers and credit cards are for.

By: Irishgirl

Irishgirl — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 17:57:23 +0000

There is nothing inappropriate about that installation. I can also understand why another space wouldn’t work for that particular installation. My god, people spend months working on finding suitable locations for artwork. It’s very disheartening for the artist.