Sad News for Stephen Judd - USM Forum -- Message Board

Date: Apr 3, 2005

Sad News for Stephen Judd

Date: Apr 3, 2005

quote:
Originally posted by: Reporter
"April 3, 2005 Budget cuts threaten arts school Somehow, we must find a solution to the funding woesBy Bill JacobsSpecial to The Clarion-Ledger http://clarionledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050403/OPINION/504030306/1200"

Yep -- I have written my letter and made my phone calls.

This is another good example of why the arts were seriously hurt by being absorbed into the old College of Liberal Arts. Once upon a time the Dean of the old Arts College had a kind of visibility in the state and a singular focus that would have enabled him (and later her) to focus some time and attention on this issue, by explaining why support for the School of the Arts is significant for the state, for state education and for the university arts programs in the state. No longer. Now there is NO ONE from USM with that kind of visibility who can and will use his/her position to campaign on behalf of arts in the state as well as the arts at USM. Now there is no university arts administrator in the state who can go to battle for the school -- even from the major university arts entity in the state.

We may be more efficient -- but another example of how a perceived efficiency actually works out to a cut . . .

Date: Apr 3, 2005

quote:
Originally posted by: stephen judd
" Yep -- I have written my letter and made my phone calls. This is another good example of why the arts were seriously hurt by being absorbed into the old College of Liberal Arts. Once upon a time the Dean of the old Arts College had a kind of visibility in the state and a singular focus that would have enabled him (and later her) to focus some time and attention on this issue, by explaining why support for the School of the Arts is significant for the state, for state education and for the university arts programs in the state. No longer. Now there is NO ONE from USM with that kind of visibility who can and will use his/her position to campaign on behalf of arts in the state as well as the arts at USM. Now there is no university arts administrator in the state who can go to battle for the school -- even from the major university arts entity in the state. We may be more efficient -- but another example of how a perceived efficiency actually works out to a cut . . . "

Excellent points (as usual). Very sorry to hear about this.

Date: Apr 3, 2005

quote:
Originally posted by: USM Sympathizer
""

Yeah -- it is a bummer. The brief arge=ument over whether to put the school in Hattiesburtg or Brookhaven was lost by us. Ten the school got put in Brookhaven -- which a lovely little town and the site of the school is quite nice as well. BUT if it had beenin Hattiesbyrg you can bet the the arts kids would have been taking duel enrollment clases on the USM campus, the arts faculty would have bneen hugely involved in the shcool, and it would have been harder for the state to wipe it out.

This state does nothing that I can see based on logic. It would have been logicsal tp put the state arts high school where the state arts university is.

Now, we are in danger of losign the state art high school and the state art;s university isn't in any position to help save it.

Sheesh.

Date: Apr 3, 2005

I'm sorry for you Stephen. I know it must be tough. I haven't heard anything about the School for Math and Science, but I expect it too will be on the block. If it isn't that may mean the legislature has bought into the SFT philosophy of downgrading the Arts and Letters in favor of Science and Technology.

Date: Apr 3, 2005

quote:
Originally posted by: Reporter
". . . that may mean the legislature has bought into the SFT philosophy of downgrading the Arts and Letters in favor of Science and Technology."

Which will mean, ironically, that science and technology will not be attracted to Mississippi. The best sci-tech folks are people of wide culture. Just as one example: the faculty club at Cal Tech is called the Atheneum.

Jameela

Date: Apr 3, 2005

quote:
Originally posted by: stephen judd
" Yep -- I have written my letter and made my phone calls. This is another good example of why the arts were seriously hurt by being absorbed into the old College of Liberal Arts. Once upon a time the Dean of the old Arts College had a kind of visibility in the state and a singular focus that would have enabled him (and later her) to focus some time and attention on this issue, by explaining why support for the School of the Arts is significant for the state, for state education and for the university arts programs in the state. No longer. Now there is NO ONE from USM with that kind of visibility who can and will use his/her position to campaign on behalf of arts in the state as well as the arts at USM. Now there is no university arts administrator in the state who can go to battle for the school -- even from the major university arts entity in the state. We may be more efficient -- but another example of how a perceived efficiency actually works out to a cut . . . "

Stephen:

This is another example the penny wise, pound foolish attitude held by our legislature and governor. We'll float bonds in a heart beat to support the expansion of a privately held corportation, but I suspect that specialized secondary education is seen as a luxory demanded by "elitist" public education and university faculty. The sad part about this is that kids who are talented and are among the "haves" will still have access to advanced music, art, math, or science education, either through private tutors or because they live in school districts that have the funds and teachers for advanced activities. A "have-not" kid with talent, well they just should have had the good sense to be born into wealth.

Higher ed folks should not have to advocate for Arts or Science or Math secondary ed. The importance of these activities should be a self-explanatory to our esteemed legislature and governor. If they're not on board, there is little program directors or deans in higher ed will be able to do to convince them otherwise. It's an embarassment to the state of Mississippi.

Date: Apr 3, 2005

quote:
Originally posted by: Mitch
" Higher ed folks should not have to advocate for Arts . . .The importance of these activities should be a self-explanatory to our esteemed legislature and governor. "

This is the weirdest damn myopia. Aren't we the little state that produced Jimmy Rogers, Robert Johnson, Tennessee Williams, William Faulkner, Leontyne Price, Eudora Welty, Greg Iles, Larry Brown, John Grisham, Elvis Presley and how many others? Maybe art thrives despite neglect, but that sure is a bassackwards attitude.

Date: Apr 3, 2005

Ram:

Look at the list of artist that you just posted. Not many of them had a formal education. This is the misconception that most Mississippians go by when they think of artist. They don't think that Mississippi artist need an education to be great. They don't realize that most of the writers that you just named, like Faulkner had great mentors to help them and people like Welty learned to write by studying literature. It is an ignorant attiitude but it is what they think.

Date: Apr 3, 2005

On the contrary, disgusted student, many of those listed participated in formal education. Price was graduated from college in Ohio and she attended Juillard. Tennessee Williams, from Clarksdale, was a University of Iowa graduate. Faulkner did not graduate from Ole Miss but did attend. Welty attended several colleges, the "W" among others. As for Grisham, well, everyone knows he is a State grad and an Ole Miss law school grad. Just don't underestimate the importance of higher education for students in the arts.

Date: Apr 3, 2005

I B

I was not underestimating them. what I said was that this is what Mississippians think. Faulker, Williams, and Welty did not study writing. They did study literature and they read almost compulsively. They also had excellent mentors. For instance one of Faluker's mentors was Stark Young. Young was one of the most brilliant and highly educated Mississippians of his time. He was a great New York critic. I could go on but what I was trying to say was that Mississippians do not think that writers need an education because they do not know the above mentioned facts.

Date: Apr 3, 2005

quote:
Originally posted by: ram
"This is the weirdest damn myopia. Aren't we the little state that produced Jimmy Rogers, Robert Johnson, Tennessee Williams, William Faulkner, Leontyne Price, Eudora Welty, Greg Iles, Larry Brown, John Grisham, Elvis Presley and how many others? Maybe art thrives despite neglect, but that sure is a bassackwards attitude. "

RAM-

It's rude to take a quote and chop it up so an important part is left out and the context altered. This is the second time this week someone has done this to one of my posts. My original statement referred to secondary ed specifically (you left this out), and not art or artists in general. The point being that if the gov, Miss Department of Ed, and legislature can't see the value of arts infusion or education (or advances in curriculum in science, language, history, math and so on) in K-12 ed, then we are up a creek without a paddle, and you can bet Stephen's letters are ending up in the circular file. And yes, welcome to Mississippi. When anything thrives around this state, you can bet it didn't get a lot of help from the taxpayers (note school bond bill failures) or the legislature (note the Senate leadership and governor's relucatance to fully fund K-12 education or to support higher education as a priority).

Date: Apr 3, 2005

quote:
Originally posted by: Mitch
" RAM- It's rude to take a quote and chop it up so an important part is left out and the context altered. "

Gee Mitch--

I was just trying to make a different point that your original comment suggested to me. The quoted portion of your statement was that which stimulated my ancillary thought.

Your original statement is still right there for all the world to see, so it's not like I was trying to attribute something to you other than what you said. But I apologize if I have caused offense. Certainly none was intended.

Date: Apr 3, 2005

quote:
Originally posted by: ram
""

Thanks. No offense taken. I just didn't want it to seem to readers that I was advocating that we, as a university, should not support the arts or arts education. I have been involved in efforts to expand arts infusion in curriculum in K-12, and this is a very important issue for me (I was very involved in performing arts in my secondary ed days, as have been my kids). The point I was trying to make (maybe not as well as I could) is that we have a very unfriendly legislature and governor (from an educator's perspective), who just don't get it. They seem deaf, mute, and blind when it comes to our opinions (hence any advocating by us is often like p--ing in the wind). I hope all who value education keep in mind what these folks are doing to us on your next trip to the ballot box. If I seem very angry about the games being played in Jackson, you would be on target.

Date: Apr 4, 2005

And where is Elliott Pood? I know he doesn't read this board (yeah, right), but perhaps someone who has his ear (perhaps literally) might suggest to him that he extend his newfound willingness to defend the liberal arts to a full defense of the principles of his college, a defense of the value of the fine and performing arts in our schools generally.

I remain entirely disgusted with the electorate, or at least with our elected representatives. The great experiment of public education is failing because the public has become convinced that each one of us ought to take care of ourselves. Where is our willingness to invest in the future of the nation, the state, the city, the community, without counting what we'll get back as individuals?

Don't answer that. I fear I know.

NO QUARTER.
Anne Wallace

Date: Apr 4, 2005

quote:
Originally posted by: Jameela Lares
"
Which will mean, ironically, that science and technology will not be attracted to Mississippi. The best sci-tech folks are people of wide culture. Just as one example: the faculty club at Cal Tech is called the Atheneum.
Jameela"

This is very true. When a corporation that depends upon highly skilled, highly educated creative people looks to open branch locations, the quality of life and quality of public services like education are a significant factors in location decisions. There is a large body of research on this subject.

Mississippi is simply abysmal in that regard. We all know faculty who have left USM because they could not abide the substandard education both the public and private schools provide their children. Stennis has always been hampered in recruiting scientists for the same reason. Most of its engineering and scientific staff lives in Slidell.

I think the hostility to public education comes from a number of factors: so many people send their children to private schools; I sense a widespread belief that the public schools are for African-Americans and, Mississippi whites, therefore, see anything over the bare minimum level of funding as wasted money, and there is a parochialism and hostility to the outside world that is just shocking.

You harvest what you sow in this world, and Mississippi's status as the poorest state in the union is the logical product of the decisions its voters have made over the long run.