Cultural- Anti-War Rally

Booming voices with fierce opinions spoke out from a stage underneath a white tent Saturday afternoon at Syracuse University's Walnut Park. These voices could be heard from many areas throughout the campus due to the two ten foot stacks of speakers located on each side of the tent. A huge sign hung behind the speakers titled, "Soldier Civilians Speak Out-Bring the Troops Home Now." The civilians spoke on behalf of the 3,500 soldiers that have lost their lives thus far in a "pointless war over oil" while veterans, couples, teens, and young children listened in.

The perimeter of the grassy area between Walnut Avenue and Walnut Place was adorned with countless tables and booths of people selling anything from anti-war t-shirts to political books and music. Five large pieces of political artwork stood on their appropriated easels. Twenty feet down from these pieces of art was an old-school, reddish-orange Volkswagen van similar to the famous Scooby Doo vehicle. Hippie-like people dressed in army green jackets covered in pins sat in the moist grass, rhythmically beating their bongos after the speakers' crucial points. They had their long hair tied in a tie-dye or americana bandana and the typical attire consisted of linen pants and Birkenstocks. Every other person carried a sign declaring, "Stop the War, Stop the $," "Stop the Racism, Stop the War" and other variations of such. One particular little girl stood there with her father holding a sign that said, "Bring my Brothers Home." While some carried signs, others wore posters that covered their entire bodies. A younger woman stopped my friend and I and we signed a war petition that will be presented in Congress in Washington, D.C.

Despite the many activities taking place, the main focus was the speakers. Many political activists spoke and even a band, "The Pat Humphreys and Sandy D" performed. Earlier in the schedule, a husband and wife spoke on behalf of their son that "came home in a box, wrapped in a flag" who was formerly a part of the Marine Corps. Lorraine, the wife, recited a poem that compared the stages of her son's life to the shoes he wore in each particular stage. It was a special moment, one that gave me goosebumps.

The anti-war rally was a lively, liberal event with a turnout of about 2,500 people. Each and every person was there for a similar cause, a similar belief. It was an eye-opening experience, especially for me because the war isn't necessarily something I think about each day because it isn't directly affecting me. Although, after seeing so many who have been and are continually affected by George Bush's actions is a shame. It's events like these that make me proud to be a part of Syracuse University. Yet, I'm not quite sure that the frat (ZBT) feels as strongly due the fact that during the entire rally they blasted their music from atop their hill.

Binh Danh

Binh Danh and his exhibit, "One Week's Dead" reproduces the faces of Vietnam in a way like no other. No greater a testimony could be achieved-Danh says it perfectly. Two hundred and forty-two men died in one week. One week. Danh uses photosynthesis to present these photographs as if they are a part of the leaves and grass. Vietnam was a horrific war, fought in the jungles of Southeast Asia. The presentation of these photographs pays a tribute to the victims that still remain scattered throughout the landscape of Vietnam. Danh's work also functions as a constant reminder that these victims are real-they had families, they had dreams, they fought, and they died for our country. And even though these men have passed on, their souls remain with us. Looking into the photographs is an unexplainable feeling. At first, you cannot exactly decipher what is happening within the artwork, but after two seconds, the face and eyes become more apparent and that victim's soul pops out at you.

Susan Sontag addresses the idea of photography and creating realities in her article "The Image World." She states, "a photograph is not only an image (as a painting is an image), an interpretation of the real; it is also a trace, something directly stenciled off the real, like a footprint or a death mask." This completely sums up what Binh Danh achieves in his "One Week's Dead." Danh's photographs create a reality of each individual and his use of leaves and grass create a reality of the treacherous landscape that Vietnam is known for. One can easily conclude that Danh's photographs are a way of "imprisoning reality, understood as recalcitrant, inaccessible; of making it stand still" (Sontag 356).

"Art was a proper name"

Art is culture, art is anything and everything that moves an individual from their original state of being to something more incredible and indescribable. As de Duve explained, "it includes images, but not all images; sounds, but only some; written or printed texts, but only certain ones; two-and three-dimensional objects, some made in the image of humans, but also others that are unrecognizable; gestures, cries, and speeches, but performed or uttered only under certain, extremely variable, conditions; and so on." Thus concluding that art is deciphered by the individual viewer. Sounds, typically a guitar mixed with a soft, yet raspy and soothing voice, usually referred to as acoustic music is my "marking of one of the thresholds where humans withdraw from their natural condition and where their universe sets itself to signifying" (de Duve 5).


Last summer, I attended a Goo Goo Dolls concert; a well-known rock/alternative/indie band. My friends and I had lawn tickets and sat as far back as possible up against a fence. I was a bit disappointed at first due to the fact that you couldn't see a thing, but I guess it didn't matter due to the fact that you would still be able to hear just fine with the help of a few gargantuan speakers. My favorite song came on, "Iris" and in addition it was played acoustically by the lead guitarist. As cliche as it may sound, I sat there with my boyfriend and felt this amazing connection with the lyrics. Everything around me came to a pleasant pause and for the remaining of the song as far as I was concerned my boyfriend and I were the only ones in the sea of people being sung to about our relationship. Goo Goo Dolls has successfully accomplished what many artists set out to do- move audiences with their lyrics and evoke a sense of sameness. The song being sung in that moment brought the best emotions out in me and I started crying as my boyfriend held me. I agree with de Duve as he refers to that fact that anyone, amateur, historian etc can like art and "just as you need no theory of women to love a woman, or of man to love a man, you need no theory of art to love art...Something irresistible attracts you."