The Wake Issue 6 Fall 2016 by The Wake Magazine

THE WAKE POST-ELECTION CAMPUS COMMENTARY

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THE WAKE VOLUME 16, ISSUE 6 sustunes event

p. 5

“action through art” mural

p. 6

the great divide

p. 7

a flip of a coin - voices

p. 10

how the donald stole thanksgiving

p. 12

PESD: post-election stress disorder

p. 15

Q&A: talvin wilks

p. 18

theater during times of division

p. 19

Q&A: paul shambroom

p. 20

satire after the election

p. 21

promoting activism through art

p. 22

post election photo essay

p. 23

©2016 The Wake Student Magazine. All Rights Reserved. Established in 2002, The Wake is a fortnightly independent magazine and registered student organization produced by and for students at the University of Minnesota. The Wake was founded by Chrin Ruen & James DeLong. Disclaimer: The purpose of The Wake is to provide a forum in which students can voice their opinions. Opinions expressed in the magazine are not representative of the publication or university as a whole. To join the conversation email avanabbema@wakemag.org.

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR We at The Wake like to talk politics. As a campus magazine that was created in reaction to the attacks on 9/11 and from the desire of students to have an alternative outlet to express political opinions, we have a history of not being made tamed and speechless when the conditions of our nation’s politics intensify. For our bizarro issue this semester, we decided to set aside the comedy and sarcasm and focus instead on the pursuit of staying “woke”–of being politically aware and tuned in to the state of one’s community in this post-election climate. Although the word itself is now nuanced with accusations of intellectual superiority, we stand by its social urge of becoming alert with an emphasis on open, bipartisan discussion. We also couldn’t resist how snug it fit with our name. In “The Woke,” we seek to capture and unpack the state of our campus climate from the perspectives of faculty, student government, and liberal and conservative students alike. We are grateful for the many voices that entered this discussion and we also would love to hear YOURS! Come spend your Monday nights with us next semester and we’ll publish your well-crafted opinions! Shawnna Stennes Sound & Vision Editor

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Emily Hill, Katie Heywood, Ruby Guthrie, Stevie Lacher, Taylor Daniels, Weiying Zhu Back Cover

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W INK ! ONE -PA GE MA G A ZINE KATIE HEYWOOD

ELLEN SCHMIDT

RUBY GUTHRIE

ELLEN SCHMIDT

4 10

CITIES

SECOND ANNUAL SUSTUNES EVENT: ROOTS, SUN, WATER, WIND BY CLAUDIA ALTHOEN

Sustunes, hosted by the University of Minnesota Sustainability Education through the Institute on the Environment, brought together a myriad of sustainability-focused groups for its second annual event on Dec. 2.

of America’s Strategies for Ecology Education, Diversity and Sustainability (SEEDS) program. The SEEDS program would give students mentorship opportunities with graduate students, faculty members, and other experts.

This year’s theme was “Roots, Sun, Water, and Wind.” The event intended to inspire attendees to think about the connection between these life-providing elements and their perceptions of them and to start a dialogue to encourage sustainability.

While not a student group, Pack & Give Back is an initiative that was started by the University of Minnesota ReUse Program that aims to reduce waste made by students during move out. Items collected become a part of the free store, and, there, students can pick whatever they want. The warehouse takes drop-offs during the summer, and then the store is open just during the beginning of the school year.

Sustunes started as a school project last year by Andreas Fenner, who led the event, but it has since grown beyond that. Environmental, sustainability, and art student groups had tables at the event and discussed current projects and their groups’ goals and aspirations.

Art for Birds tabled there, as one of several art groups, whose goal is to place window art installations around campus to prevent bird deaths.

The Sustainable Systems Management Club wants to be a catalyst for the campus to move from nonrenewable to renewable forms of energy, according to Spencer Gressen, an officer of the club. The group has been working on increasing the presence of plastic bag recycling bins on campus and notebook recycling.

Student-run literary magazine Ivory Tower was also at Sustunes. Sammy Brown, one of the co-editors for the magazine, said, “There is an importance in creative work. ... [It] creates a sense of community.” The theme for this year’s publication is momentum. They accept submissions through the beginning of December each year in fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and visual art.

The Ecology Club wishes to connect people who are interested in ecology, evolution, and behavior. They are in the midst of making the club a chapter in the Ecological Society

Several artists attended the event, with various nature-focused art pieces. One of the artists, Louie, was inspired to show “people’s communion with nature.” He experimented with

ELLEN SCHMIDT

SUSTAINABLE ROOTS ARE TAKING HOLD binaries in his art: sunrise, sunset, heartbeat, breath. Another artist displayed, Madeline, found herself drawn to how nature is constantly in motion, never at a standstill. She wanted to “catch the movement of nature” in her pieces. Their art, along with others, was displayed on a wall in the atrium. Musical performances were played throughout. Some of the tunes at Sustunes were put on by the Music Therapy Student Association, which led a collaborative activity that anyone could join in on to create music. It was a symphony of people being people, expressing themselves in ways that words could not. It was a wordless reminder to those with ears open that amalgamation is how positive change occurs. It all starts with the roots. The performance was meant to remind people that collaboration is how change occurs, and people are the roots of that change. Three other music acts performed, each interpreting one of the other themes: City Love played sun-inspired pieces, Willows had water, and Balloon Lagoon interpreted wind. Their music created a soulful, haunting atmosphere. A senior this year, Fenner hopes that the tradition of Sustunes will continue even after he graduates. This year, Sustunes grew in conversation and interaction. While this was only its second year, its roots seem to be taking hold.

CITIES

THE WAKE

SANCTUARY CAMPUS

U OF M COMMITS TO PROTECTING ALL STUDENTS BY HANNAH KLOOS After constant pressure from student groups and over 1,500 signatures from the University of Minnesota community, University President Eric Kaler signed the petition to establish the University as a “sanctuary campus.” The results of the recent presidential election have left many students at the University feeling disappointed and upset. However, many immigrant and undocumented students are also experiencing a very personal fear. The xenophobic rhetoric that President-Elect Donald Trump spouted on the campaign trail has many on campus uncertain about their security and status as students and unsure what University administrators will do in response.

Students can’t be expected to be successful if they have to worry about whether they or their family will be safe or not.” After signing the pledge, Kaler released a statement expressing support for the initiative: “I want to assure you that the University’s senior leadership team and I are firmly committed to the safety of all of our students. … We will advocate for them to be able to attend the University

and continue their studies uninterrupted.” Now that the commitment has been made, the University’s main goals are to uphold the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, clarify legal parameters for outside parties requesting information about students, and define the relationship between students and the University of Minnesota Police Department, Syedah said. “I want undocumented immigrants to know that their peers and the students they elected to represent them are here for them,” Syedah said. “We will fight for you to stay here and you belong here.”

EMILY HILL

“The campus was in a state of limbo, and a lot of people are wondering, where do we go from here and what does it mean to be undocumented,” said Minnesota Student Association President Abeer Syedah.

foundation to take steps to protect students from laws or policies that will jeopardize their access to safety and an education,” Syedah said. “Success depends on safety.

To help quell these fears, Syedah circulated the petition for the University to take a stand and declare itself a sanctuary campus “A sanctuary campus is a catchall term that basically means that our university expressed a commitment and laid a

MURALISTS RESPOND TO ELECTION IN “ACTION THROUGH ART”

GOODSPACE’S EVENT ENCOURAGES COMMUNITY BUILDING BY KATE DRAKULIC Nov. 22 was cold and miserable. Sleet and snow fell from the sky, and the streets were slippery and covered with slush. Only those who had a real purpose would leave the comfort of their homes to bundle up and venture out into the night. For some, GoodSpace Mural’s reflective post-election “Action Through Art” event proved to be an exceptional purpose. Located in the Ivy Building for the Arts in south Minneapolis, GoodSpace’s studio was bright and lively on the otherwise dreary evening. Art was everywhere: paint on the walls, paint on the floor, and tile mosaics and supplies that lined the shelves. Tons of books about murals around the world were stacked on tables, and upbeat music played in the background. It was a perfect setting for social creativity. Greta McLain, the lead artist of GoodSpace, greeted guests with a warm and energetic smile as people of all ages trickled into the studio, shivering and shaking off the snow.

McLain directed the diverse group of high schoolers, college students, and GoodSpace regulars to three large worktables. Each table was given a phrase—hope, anger, fear, or organize. Participants chose the table they felt most strongly about after

For this group of strangers to create a powerful and meaningful message together, the first step was brainstorming. With markers, crayons, pens, and paint, each table began by writing words that came to mind when reflecting on their prompt. The Organize Table wrote words like respect, communication, conversation, and sanctuary. Soon enough the paper was overflowing with questions, feelings, and emotions. Participants opened up in the conversations afterward about what they had written. Discussion revolved around the election. There was talk about the unknown future, possibilities, and action plans. Some shared concern for their own safety and the safety of their loved ones because of ethnicity or immigrant status. Others spoke about the difficulties they have already experienced, including acts of violence and the recent hate speech on the University of Minnesota campus. Participants voiced their worries and reassurances about how they could maintain a safe and respectful community. Following conversation, each table selected a few meaningful keywords and ideas. The participants began the design with quick sketches and scribbles and refined them into an elaborate representation of the table’s phrase and most important ideas.

The group reassembled to begin the collaborative painting process the following night. Groups used grid systems and projectors to enlarge their design onto the wall, while others simply drew freehand with chalk before the painting. GoodSpace has created and installed a number of murals around Minneapolis, including the well-known “Sing a Song of Uptown” mural on the corner of Lake Street and Hennepin Avenue. McLain explained why she thinks muralism is so important to her and a city. “I believe strongly in the power of visual space,” she said. “In a community, the walls tell us how to behave and what to expect,” she said. “Murals are beautiful forms of empowerment. The community’s story is told; the people claim their own narrative.” The murals created during Action Through Art will be mobile. They’ll be set up and moved all around different neighborhoods of Minneapolis.

KATIE HEYWOOD

“Community building is a slow process,” she said. “A project can take a year or more in the neighborhoods and schools that we work in, but we decided to quickly start this project because [this election] calls for immediate action.” The group created the event to provide a space for conversations that would eventually be shown to the community through a collaborative mural.

the election’s impact. Everyone slowly gravitated to the table they resonated with the most, and the creative process began.

GoodSpace describes themselves as “muralists who use art to promote community development and share the unique expression and interests of a community; reclaiming the stories and identity within public spaces” in their mission statement. The artists use their murals to represent both the people and the social issues of the neighborhoods they work in.

THE WAKE

FEATURE

T E G R AT D VIDE BY ALEX VAN ABBEMA AND HOLLY WILSON

To answer “How did we get here?” post-election, it’s important to look at the way we get information, starting with the internet

FEATURE

THE WAKE

ith the outrage on both sides in and outside of social media, it has become clear that political divisions between us are greater than they ever have been and are only getting worse. Social media sites have only added to this divisiveness because while they help news disseminate, they spread fake news and can create isolated bubbles of opinions. The public and newsmedia also placed heavy weights on poll results as a way to form their own opinions and turned their attention away from the issues being reported on.

S O C I A L M E D I A’ S R O L E

Clearly we need to be more diligent at monitoring what information is put out there for consumption and consider their effects more, but what can we do about it?

“The reader has a responsibility now, and the challenge is to wade through and f ilter through all the junk...and f ind sources of news that are responsible and legitimate”

Twitter and Facebook users can organize and access the news and opinions they want to see in unprecedented ways. Not only does this stifle diversity in opinion and create stronger echo chambers for users, it also allows fake news to proliferate and thrive. Misleading information is easy to disguise and easy to access. In the Facebook News Feed, fake news and real news looks the same. “As social media users, we have a tendency to trust our friends and family, and that results in the spread and trust in fake news,” said University of Minnesota journalism professor Valerie Belair-Gagnon. “As users, we tend not to hold these social media firms accountable for spreading fake news and degrading online conversations (that also spread offline).”

FAKE NEWS For most of the last century, people got their news through what was essentially a one-way street. Regional radio, TV networks, and regional newspapers supplied information to all of the U.S.

“To the extent that social media outlets can filter out some of that for us as much as possible, they should do it. It’s in their interest to do it. People don’t want to go to places where they’re fooled, at least I hope not,” Ison said.

The rise of the internet made people’s opinions easier to access, and now readers can sort through millions of content-options, including false and misleading articles from both sides of the political spectrum like Breitbart or Occupy Democrats.

President Obama specifically called out the fake news problem the night before the election, mentioning Facebook in particular. Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg seemed shocked by accusations that his site has been a hub of fake news. Zuckerberg responded after the election was over, saying it was “a pretty crazy idea” that fake news on Facebook influenced the election, defending the “diversity” of information that users see.

“The media environment online is so competitive; news organizations are under pressure to get clicks and build an audience,” said Benjamin Toff, a research fellow at the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism at Oxford. “That makes it all the more essential that users of social media don’t fall into the trap of fake news.” Whether it comes from ignorance, a lack of media literacy, or a desire to believe in their personal perspective, some media consumers see the misleading information as fact and spread it as such. According to NPR, a fake news story titled, “FBI Agent Suspected In Hillary Email Leaks Found Dead In Apparent Murder-Suicide” was shared over half a million times on Facebook. Christopher Ison teaches a variety of journalism courses at the University of Minnesota, including Mass Media Ethics. He believes that the breadth of news options gives readers an added responsibility to make sure what they’re consuming is fact, not fiction. “The reader has a responsibility now, and the challenge is to wade through and filter through all the junk, and all the bad information, and poorly sourced information, and find sources of news that are responsible and legitimate,” Ison said.

While it is much of the individual’s responsibility to determine the credibility of what they are reading, social media companies should be diligent in examining what gets posted to their sites.

“I think the social media sites have a responsibility too, to the extent that Facebook can filter out fake news,” Ison said. “They certainly have the resources to do more than they do now, they need to accept that they have responsibility for this.” Social media networks are still very new, and people will need to continue to learn more and more about their effects and power. “I like to hope that the public gets better at identifying what’s real and what not. We just have to be constantly media literate in order to filter that junk out, and it’s a constant process. It takes real energy and commitment to be well informed,” Ison said. “Nobody should be in the business of allowing lies and made up information to proliferate on their site.”

THE WAKE

FEATURE

Media literacy is proving to be an increasingly necessary skill to have in order to be a fully informed citizen.

ROLLS OF THE POLLS In addition to the proliferation of fake news on social media, the heavy news coverage of poll results through both conventional news and social media beat out a lot of news on the issues of the election in respect to coverage. According to many election polls and for this election, throughout a variety of news media, it was almost a foregone conclusion that Hillary Clinton would win the presidential election. Huffington Post predicted her chance of winning at 98 percent, while the New York Times’ Upshot forecasted Clinton’s chance of winning at 84 percent right before the election. Toff believes that these expectations affected reporting throughout the U.S. “I do think the fact that the polls and the forecasting websites so consistently showed Clinton winning meant that most reporters covering the election did so expecting that result,” said Toff. Despite social media being a hotspot for the aggregation of fake news, it can be a useful watchdog tool. Social media can help journalists and readers stay current with the most up-todate corrections, updates, and changes, especially with regards to the polls. “The good thing is there are some amazing resources out there to help readers and journalists make sense of the available data that’s out there and sort out which pollsters are reputable, which are not, and why,” said Toff. “...Many of these people are also on Twitter and regularly analyze poll results in the news. This is one aspect of social media that can actually potentially help improve Toff coverage of the suggested polls.” to look at the Twitter accounts of Nate Silver of FiveThirtyEight, Nate Cohn of the New York Times, Mark Blumenthal of Survey Monkey and Doug Rivers of YouGov to start. Toff said that even when people were getting their news from reputable sources, a lot of those sources were relying on polls, and polling averages to report what was going on before the election. This reliance on the polls to report what was going on pushed a lot of stories on the issues of the election under the rug. Polls weren’t the full story. “Journalists must also be mindful of the fact that polls are just snapshots of the electorate at a moment in time, so even if results show a 4-point race right now that doesn’t mean it will stay that way by election day,” said Toff.

GOING FORWARD It’s unclear whether Facebook or Twitter will implement new policies to alleviate issues with the spreading of fake news. Until that point, readers must do their best to find reputable sources. Belair-Gagnon said that firstdraftnews.com is a strong source for people to find legitimate sources. The nonprofit organization offers quick reference resources, case studies, and best practice recommendations for finding reputable news.

“Just like schools taught students about the difference between primary and secondary sources when they do research for a paper, they have to teach students how to be critical thinkers of all their sources of information out there,” Chris Ison said.

Belair-Gagnon goes back to a project she did with her Mass Media and Pop Culture course when discussing social media bubbles. What she found was one small step of many necessary to decrease the political divide cultivated through the internet on both sides of the spectrum. “We found that the best way to understand our filter bubble is to be aware of what exists outside of it, and make a conscious effort to expose yourself to other viewpoints in the media ecosystem (within and outside of the United States).”

Here are some questions Ison said readers should ask when trying to make a good judgement call on a media organization: – Do they have trained journalists and trained editors? – Do you see legitimate efforts to present the best arguments for both sides of an issue? – Do they do original reporting or do they steal other kinds of reporting? – Do they use a diversity of sources when they provide different perspectives on issues? – Do they name their sources, whether it’s a person or a sort of public record? – How well do they correct their mistakes, if at all? By asking these questions, the public can determine the credibility of a source before they let the news hold places of power and influence.

It’s also possible that more than a few voters stayed home or voted for third party candidates because they, too, thought Hillary Clinton had the election wrapped up.

VOICES A F LIP OF A C OIN,

it seems, would have been a better predictor of the outcome of this election than all of the methods we meticulously relied upon. Despite months of speculation and expert opinions, the outcome of Nov. 8 was as shocking as it was final. Even many Trump supporters were not expecting his victory. Friends, professors, Facebook, the news media—everyone was confounded by what had happened. It seems inconceivable, I think, that we can be so caught unawares by our own collective decision, by our own country. How is it that with our tried and tested polling and our career analysts, we can’t predict the outcome of a nation-wide, either-or decision?

This is a humbling moment for all of us, and in particular for younger voters like myself. We were proud civic participants, thrilled to exercise our rights at such a historic time in our nation. We shared our opinions with our followers online, and swapped support in “likes” and “favorites.” We bought t-shirts and set up recurring donations. And we took up the banner of our party in vilifying and caricaturing our opposition. We were many voices, and few ears. Listening to each other’s voices is something that we need to get better at doing. Writing off conservatives as “uneducated” and liberals as “butterflies” ignores the thoughtful criticism and profound empathy that those individuals dedicated to their political views bring to the table. So listen to these accounts of why one person is protesting, and why another doesn’t think everyone should vote. Listen to an old man’s pride in his party and a student’s reflection on broken campaign promises. Listen to Gabby, Olivia, Chris, Chelsea, Liv and Kasey.

Get woke. EMMA KLINGLER

Voices Editor

CLEANING THE POND WITH DOLLAR BILLS Trump’s administration and broken promises BY ANNALISE GALL Now that Donald Trump has won the election, the nation is eagerly waiting to see how the next four years will play out. In a normal election, one could predict how these years will pass based on the campaign promises that the president-elect ran on. This, however, was not a normal election, and Trump was not a normal candidate. He was an outsider, a supposed man of the people, and he ran on promises to drain the swamp of DC from its political pond scum. Citizens who voted for Trump on this premise should feel betrayed by his current cabinet picks. Trump’s selections so far pull from the ranks of governors, senators, congressmen and the chairman of the Republican National Committee, Reince Priebus. Other headliners in the running include Sarah Palin, Mitt Romney and Rudy Giuliani. These appointees not only have political baggage, but also are the very fixtures of today’s Republican Party. If the plan was to bring in outsiders with no hidden governmental agendas or debts to pay off, these delegates should have been last on the list. The promised outsiders we have been given are of the same sort as Trump -- millionaires and billionaires. His administration is shaping up to be the wealthiest in modern American history, with appointees such as Wilbur Ross, an investor whose fortune is estimated at $2.9 billion, and Steven Mnuchin, former Goldman Sachs executive who has zero government experience and strong ties in Hollywood. Unlike the career politicians, these delegates are meant to have no ulterior motives that can interfere with their dedication to serving in the best interest of the American people. Whether there exists a billionaire in the world with no alternate incentives is up for debate. Whether or not you like Trump’s administration choices, it stands that they are not the choices he led voters to believe he would make. Having a president who can be held accountable to his word is vital, and Trump must learn that he cannot say one thing when he means another. But hey, we can expect an administration filled with both political pond scum and Wall Street fat cats to be accountable, right? (Oh, and Ben Carson).

THE WAKE

VOICES

THE C OR DIAL TRUMP SUPP OR TER

My grandfather and I engage in a civil conversation about the Republican Party BY TAYLOR SHARP

“[The government’s] too big and unwieldy. I’ve learned that it doesn’t work.” Grandpa's interests focus on the conservatives’ fiscal side, ingrained through town hall, the news and volunteering at the Mower County Fair. He reiterated the positive displays of spirit found at the caucuses. “It’s…amazing to listen to these… farmers and truck drivers. They give passionate speeches on [the] need to fight big government. It renews your faith in Americans.” But he’s also aware of the brasher Republicans out there: “Democrats get the impression that all conservatives are knuckle-dragging guys with a rifle in the back of their pick-up.”

Though he did not condone the over-the-top rage that threatens the health of Americans, his concern for it seemed, sorry Grandpa, minimal.

“By hook or crook the country will keep on going. We’ve got a lot of good people,” he said. “Government should protect us. They should give money to the welfare of dogs.”

“Trump tapped into anger. He embarrassed the hell out of me sometimes.” Though Trump’s ostentatious anger may be compartmentalized to extreme fringes, I had to wonder if nonchalance was more widespread. Ultimately, remember that not all Republicans use their beliefs to showcase their fear of difference. Some emphasize betterment and consider the benefit of all Americans under their ideology. Grandpa made the possibility more convincing that extreme hatred can be smothered and Americans can, though retaining contrary political beliefs, be unified by the desire for a country better suited for everyone.

WEIYING ZHU

This Thanksgiving I wanted to get uncomfortable. Actually, this was Saturday, so as I digested a slab of pecan pie I asked my grandfather, as he also digesting a slab of pecan pie, for his republican opinion regarding this election. Throughout the discussion between my grandpa, Frankie the Dog and me, Grandpa made it clear that he was a “staunch capitalist.” A Republican since his “poor church mouse” days, he’s never been tempted to go to the dark side of blue.

“Republicans believe government shouldn’t be the answer to society’s problems,” nor should hatred and fear, Grandpa said.. Even though people nowadays are compelled to defend the hateful prejudices that have only metastasized in the hubbub of Facebook posts and rallies, Grandpa made me remember that on the other side of the spectrum, hope reigns for some.

THE R E AL G OAL OF P OLITIC AL PR OTE S T How recent Trump protests are about more than casting out the president-elect

EMILY HILL

BY CLAIRE BECKER I don’t think the purpose of political protest is always to affect change. I know this seems counterintuitive, but let me explain. Since Mr. Trump was elected president on Nov. 9, protests have been flaring up from New York to LA with the apparent goal of ousting the president-elect from his would-be office. However, if you take a closer look at the actual messages propagated at these protests, they reveal a slightly different goal.

1) It inconveniences them. This one is self-explanatory—people don’t like it when moral indignation extends their commute by 20 minutes.

I publically protested Trump’s election on Nov. 10, and as I approached the pulsating crowd on I-94 at Riverside Avenue, I did not hear chants of “Impeach Trump.” No one shouted, “Get out of the White House” or even “You’re Fired, Trump.” Instead, I heard affirmative chants of “Black lives matter,” “Refugees are welcome here,” and, my personal favorite, “Pussy grabs back.” And while I did see a few picket signs bearing slogans to the effect of “Donald Trump has got to go” and “We reject the president-elect,” most signs bore more positive slogans aimed at inclusion and mutual support—“Trans lives matter,” or “Si se puede,” for example.

I return to my main point: The purpose of political protest isn’t always to affect immediate change. As I clumsily attempted to climb a wooden divide to get into interstate I-94 in my skirt, tights and patent leather clogs, I realized I needed help. The words “hey could someone help me jump this thing” had barely left my mouth when roughly five people bent down to offer me a leg up.

I’ve seen a lot of scathing tweets and Facebook posts condemning protests like the one I participated in. From what I can deduce, people seem to denounce protests for one of two reasons:

2) They don’t think protesting will solve anything. This one seems a bit more predominant in the social media sphere— people simply don’t see the point of protesting if it won’t make immediate changes to the system.

That’s what I think political protest is about. It’s not about impeaching Trump right this second, it’s about helping people in need of support to climb walls, about making sure refugees know they’re “welcome here,” and marginalized people know they “matter.” Most importantly, protest is about creating a message for like-minded individuals: You are not alone.

VOICES

THE WAKE

HOW THE DONALD STOLE THANK SGIVING My family voted for Trump, pass the turkey BY GABBY GRANADA There’s no place like home for the holidays—unless you find yourself stuck in the same familial conundrum I’m in. My family members voted for Donald Trump, so there’s a long list of places that sound a lot more appealing than home right now. You know what they say, nothing spoils a Thanksgiving meal like a presidential pussy-grabber. With the holiday season upon us, how does one handle coming home to a Trump-supporting family?

holiday out of convenience. You should be able to have an open and honest conversation about hard topics with the people you love. Avoiding the discussion of politics with family is an antiquated taboo, and this year, brushing politics under the dinner table feels almost insidious. The silent majority that’s inconspicuous to polls elected Trump. For many white college kids like myself, complacently avoiding familial conflict helped enable his presidency. There’s plenty of blame to go around.

“F— ’em. You’re an orphan now. Don’t go home. Don’t go home for Thanksgiving or Christmas. Don’t talk to them at all. Silence speaks volumes,” advised actor Michael Shannon.

“Family should be more important than political views,” my mother texted me the morning after the election in defense of her vote for Trump.

If only it was that simple. All November I grappled with the decision of whether or not to board a plane home for Thanksgiving Break. Eventually, I caved. I went home. I ate turkey. I watched movies. I made small talk with my Trumpsupporting relatives as if nothing had changed because, in a way, nothing had. Life moved on unaltered for my family and me after Nov. 8 simply because our middle-class, white privilege allowed it to.

She’s right. Family should outweigh any political dispute; however, a line must be drawn somewhere. If a political view imposes on personal liberties, it’s no longer “politics as usual.” It’s become far more personal. Trump’s offensive comments toward women, people of color and immigrants have morphed this debate into a matter of morality rather than politics. Disagreeing with family members during this election implies disagreeing on the fundamental principles of equality.

My situation isn’t unique. Many people will undoubtedly ignore the enormous elephant—and donkey—in the room this

That’s something a little tougher to swallow at the Thanksgiving table this year.

“Many people will undoubtedly ignore the enormous elephant– and donkey– in the room this holiday out of convenience.”

STEVIE LACHER

THE WAKE

VOICES

FA C T S V S. FABR IC ATIONS A #NeverTrump Republican’s perspective on moving forward from here BY: KASEY CARPENTER As a Republican, studying at such a far-left school often feels ostracizing. On Nov. 8, anxiety overwhelmed me; not only did Donald Trump’s win make me nervous, but I feared that others would blame people like me for “letting” it happen. The reality, however, is that as a #NeverTrump Republican, I felt just as baffled as they did. I never expected Trump to win the presidency. But he did and despite what many students may want to think, winning the electoral vote did not give Trump a probable—but still avoidable—path toward becoming president. Trump’s win means that come January, he will be the President of the United States. That is reality. Rather than letting reality depress me, I have chosen to further investigate what reality really is. This weeding out the “real” from the “not-so-real” controversies of today has helped me to feel more OK about tomorrow. Real: A small number of horrible people have promoted hate against minorities after Trump’s win and should be punished. Not so real: These people are everywhere. The majority of the reported crimes have actually been proven to be false, even at the University of Minnesota. So, while a problem does exist, allowing fear-mongering attention-seekers to bring about further fear and division without checking facts does not help anyone. Real: The Supreme Court’s rulings are immensely powerful. Not so real: Donald Trump seeks to rebut the court’s rulings on things like gay marriage. Trump recently said he was fine with the gay marriage ruling. Furthermore, he does not really have the power to overturn it, even if he wanted to. Additionally, to argue that Trump will appoint a conservative judge and move us backward, remember the new judge will replace Antonin Scalia. Scalia was often deemed too traditional, yet he served on the court when gay marriage was legalized. Things were OK then, and they will be OK now. At most, I believe the court will be similar to the way it was with Scalia.

D ON’ T V OTE Unless you actually believe in whom you’re voting for BY MATT BANKER I hope you’re as sick of the groupthink of “doing your civic duty” as you should be. Everyone tells you to vote, especially your Facebook friends with the “I’m With Her” and “Dump Trump” stickers on their laptops. They really don’t care whom you vote for as long as you do your precious civic duty. The same people who think it’s persuasive to run onto a highway to rally blocked cars to the cause of social justice fool the masses every four years into their equally faulty logic about the morality of voting. You eat it up—hook, line and sinker— because what millennial could ever pass up an opportunity to feel good about themselves?! The “Go vote!” crowd knows this. They know you live on a campus—that means you’re urban, young and college educated. On aggregate, the estimated value of your vote goes 90-95 percent to each Democrat on your ballot solely because of the 3 facts listed above. Increasingly, the reason for this is because you’re—understandably—antiRepublican. Republicans? You act reciprocally. Just like the parties want it. The Democratic and Republican parties are no longer representative of liberal and conservative ideologies, but parasites of them. Liberalism and conservatism have overlaps and intricacies. They intersect with socialism and libertarianism fluidly. Parties are black and white. They are the most dangerous corporations in America because they’ve realized one terrifying reality: more money is made from opposing the other “team” than actually working together on policy. They neglect dialogue and debate for charisma and identity politics. They divide us by gender, class and race, and pit us against each other. They leave no room for nuanced policy discussion that detracts from their end goal. Trump has been derided for his lack of depth and clarity, but Secretary Clinton could hardly be left blameless from the same accusation. Even libertarians who voted Gary Johnson had to blindly ignore his crumbling at any question about tax policy to tell themselves they were proud of their vote. In that case, why vote? If we have a system where we have to pick from the lesser of two, three or four evils, Does your vote matter? You know deep down that it doesn’t. Demographics matter. Money matters. Your vote doesn’t. It feeds the beast.

Trump’s win was not ideal. However, he is our next president. While we should be prepared to act if injustices really do occur when he takes office, for now I plan to research, hope for the best and stay impartially informed.

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The politics of race in America. BY LIV MARTIN

In Susan Faludi’s breakout 1991 book titled “Backlash,” she reveals how media created an illusory sense that women have made leaps of progress. She was able to rally women and create a resurgence of the feminist movement by calling out media organizations such as Time magazine, which claimed that “women’s fight for equality has largely been won.” In her book, Faludi argues that there has been a “backlash” against advances women made in the 1970s. A similar thing is happening in America today. Along with a war on women, there is a war on racial minorities. Van Jones, a CNN commentator and attorney, was the first person to coin a term similar to “backlash.” During election night commentary, he used “whitelash” to explain the phenomenon of Donald Trump’s election. The election exposed many things about our country. It has proved just how divided we really are as a nation. It has also proved that a majority of white people want things to stay exactly how they are. Or, they want to turn back the clock to the 1950s, an era that fills some white people with nostalgia. This desire is something that Donald Trump was readily available to satiate with his campaign slogan: “Make America Great Again” (with “again” being the key word here). Even though many Americans were filled with the hope that our country could have its first female president follow its first black president, it makes sense that there was such “whitelash.” Just as Faludi explains in her book, when women made progress in the 1970s, it was followed by “backlash.” Similarly, racial progress, in the form of electing President Obama in 2008 and again in 2012, is being followed by major "whitelash," in the form of President-elect Donald J. Trump and his stances on immigrants, people of color and a host of other issues. The progressive and inclusive direction in which our country was headed has been suspended. CNN’s exit polls indicate that 57 percent of white Americans voted for Trump, with an even higher rate among white voters without a college degree. "This was a whitelash against a changing country," Jones said on CNN. "It was whitelash against a black president in part. And that's the part where the pain comes."

Can Republicans expand control over our polarized nation?

BY: CHRIS SHEA When he is sworn into office in January, President-elect Donald Trump will have a rare luxury: there will be a Republican majority in both chambers of Congress. This could boost his chances of enacting major aspects of his platform and possibly dislodge some of the gridlock that currently exists in Washington. Or can it? In today’s polarized era, members of Congress tend to vote along party lines, allowing more chances of legislative success for a president. The last time there was a single party in control was when Obama was first elected in 2008, which only lasted until the shellacking of the Democrats during the partisan tide of the 2010 midterm elections. During that time Obama was able to pass landmark pieces of legislation such as the Affordable Care Act, which would never have passed if not for the Democratic majority in Congress. For the most part, Republicans share many policy and political goals, which incentivizes them to work out their differences. However, Republicans are deeply divided when it comes to trade policy, something that Trump prioritized greatly during his campaign. This makes the change on trade policy difficult for Trump since it brings the need of Democratic votes. Another roadblock to legislative success for the Republicans will be that of the Senate filibuster. Democrats are sure to use this to prevent ultra-conservative legislation from passing through the Senate, unless Republicans can gather the 60 votes necessary to stop the filibuster. One such issue that this will likely be used for is immigration reform. Trump and congressional Republicans will most likely rely on the budget reconciliation process to pass at least a couple of facets of Trump’s platform such as tax cuts and entitlement reforms. This would be the easiest legislation to pass through the Senate because it only requires 51 votes to get passed and cannot be filibustered. The final hindrance to the Trump administration’s legislative success is simply Trump’s lack of electoral experience and leadership style. The Republicans may have control of both the executive and legislative branches, but that does not necessarily mean that the gridlock will go away, or that Trump will make all of his campaign promises a reality.

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PESD: POST-ELECTION STRESS DISORDER

What happens now? BY CHELSEA VISSER

Wednesday morning, the day after the election, my roommate and I stared at each other, half-awake and mostly numb. “So,” I said. “That really happened.” We were quiet, watching the news on our laptops and scrolling through our Facebook feeds. When my roommate’s boyfriend arrived, he held out his arms and let her bury her head in his shoulder. The thing is, my roommate is queer, and our future vice president is widely believed to support conversion therapy. A little while later, I got a text message from a friend that just read, “Can I call?”

A while later, I was sitting on the floor in my room, coaching my friend through breaths. He’s from rural Wisconsin, and he’s gay. One of his relatives had posted something on Facebook supporting Trump. How was he supposed to get through Thanksgiving dinner?

the news, and focus on what’s right in front of us. And you know what? Sometimes, that might be what you need. The future is big and scary, especially when we’re facing a presidency very much unlike the last eight years. Even now, people are still grieving. We’re still stuck on what might have been.

We talked for 20 minutes, and by the end he was feeling a bit better. I hung up the phone, tipped my head back to meet the wall and took five minutes to cry. Then I got up, brushed myself off and went to class.

It’s important not to check out of politics once the election is over, though it may seem tempting. But it’s just as important to take care of yourself. Turn off the TV. Scroll past arguments on Facebook. Like it or not, this stuff isn’t going away anytime soon.

After nearly a year and a half of election coverage, we’re all exhausted. We’re tired of hearing about emails and policies and Twitter fights. It’d be so easy to just hunker down, ignore

Take care of yourself. Love yourself. One way or another, we’ll get through this..

THE Y V OTED F OR TRUMP, NOW W HAT ? BY OLIVIA HEUSINKVELD Immediately following the election, I was mad at Trump for threatening those who are different from him, and I was mad at half of the American voters for telling him that his actions were okay. And then I realized something: It doesn’t matter who anyone voted for. Trump is the president-elect, and getting mad at someone for at one time supporting him is not how we move forward.

Talking with people on the other side of the political spectrum is not easy. In the wake of an election littered with racist, homophobic, xenophobic and sexist rhetoric, some people will not feel safe talking to someone who supported Trump. For every conversation with someone ideologically different that ends in a change of perspective, there will be conversations that end in violence. Coming together as a country will not be easy, but it never has been.

KATIE HEYWOOD

A divided country hurts everyone, and conversations that focus on who is “right” only push us further apart. Attacking someone for their beliefs only triggers a defensive reaction. On the other hand, ignoring those on the other side of the political spectrum is what created the divide in the first place. We must have more productive discussions by finding a happy medium between sharing our beliefs and listening to the views of others.

Fighting for love across the ideological divide

The good news is that we still have a lot in common. Even as hate crimes in Trump’s name continue to make national news, most Americans aren’t hateful in their hearts. There is a lot to unite around, we just need to take the time to find our commonalities and lift them up together. The best we can do now is lead with love. We must be extra kind to everyone we meet and open our hearts to understand that our suffering is not more important than the suffering of another. We must recognize that everyone sees the world differently, and if we don’t reach out and listen in return, we will just continue to be a bunch of separate bubbles passing each other in America’s filthy sink.

SOUND & VISION W E ’ VE BEEN HER E BEF OR E A Visual History of the Wake’s Political Retort BY JOHN BLOCHER

We released our first issue in the summer of 2002 following “the wake” of the Sept. 11th terrorist attacks. True to our roots, we continue to write what we like in the midst of political uncertainty. Take a look at how The Wake has responded to controversy in years past.

A money stuffed George W. Bush is roasted on the cover page. November 10, 2004. Art by Sam Soule.

Reflecting on the Republican National Convention riots. A feature from September, 2008. Photography by Ben Lansky and Matt Miranda.

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“Obama and Israel: The bitterly ironic romance of our first black president and a racist, oppressive state” an article by Ali Jaafar from February 2009. Jaafar criticizes Obama’s support of the Israeli state and comments on past examples of flawed efforts at zionism: the U.S. colonization of Liberia, and the aloof attitude of Israel toward the acceptance of Jews from Ethiopia. Art by Dixon Bordiano.

“The Masquerade” by Gera Pobuda. December 14, 2005.

The U.S. prepares for war in Iraq. February 2003. Art by Adam Garcia.

“Celebrity Wars: Trump vs. Kermit” a satire by Emma Klinger from October 2015. Art by Lizzie Goncharova.

Presidential Candidates Kerry, Nader, and Bush. October 27, 2004. Art by Same Soule.

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Q&A W ITH TALVIN W ILK S BY SAMMY BROWN TAYLOR DANIELS

The University of Minnesota’s latest theater production of José Rivera’s “Marisol” follows the story of a woman whose guardian angel has left to strike war on a tired, elderly God. Without this protection, she is left to fend for herself in an apocalyptic world plagued with skinheads, grave disparity, and a moonless sky. In the current climate of our campus, many have reported feeling a similar sense of lost protection and a fear for what is to come. This production’s director, Talvin Wilks, sees college theater as not merely a form of entertainment, but “a laboratory of ideas.” In this particularly timely production of “Marisol,” Wilks pushed boundaries to challenge and provoke ideas amid an electric time in history. The Wake: I had the unique experience of reading “Marisol” before the election and seeing your production of the play post-election. Because of this, it was hard to tease apart whether it was seeing it on stage or experiencing the story in a different climate that made the twisted reality feel more plausible. Did the feeling of the play vary for you before and after the election? Talvin Wilks: Interestingly enough, not so much for me because I had been investigating those elements and really thinking about the play in the context of this particular moment, so it felt like it was a fulfillment of those ideas. It wasn’t a before-and-after, it was a culmination.

: What did your investigations find? TW: There were some pertinent connections about the economy and the type of unrest from when the play was written to now. The play was written early ‘90s, so the skinhead movement was on the rise, which was connected with a sort of disenfranchisement. This was also the time of the LA riots. The social and political unrest in correlation with the time now was always a part of how we were understanding the play.

: What are some of the responses that have stuck with you from audience members? TW: The feedback has been just how timely the play was. People really felt the significance of the correlation between the political climate of the time. People were seeing these issues and thinking hard about them. They approached it from all kinds of frameworks. There was a shift in the audience preand post-election, which I think is exciting for a play written that long ago to have that kind of resonance later.

: After the show, you had set up a whiteboard for people to write their takeaways from the show. What would you have

written? What’s your takeaway? TW: I wanted the play to make people think and interrogate this notion of how do we address issues of disenfranchisement in society. What happens when you’re on the outside of the authority, the power structure—where do you find hope? When you may see yourself being the downtrodden, where do you find hope? Marisol was on that kind of journey. She was on this quest. She had to face those archetypal conflicts as all the side characters engaged her in a moral questioning. She had to find the balance of her truth, coming from a life where she didn’t have to think about those things. That feeling of “Wake up!” comes into a kind of consciousness. That’s what the play tries to represent, no matter where your politics lie.

: After seeing the production, I felt emotionally exhausted— like I had been living this horrific reality myself. What was morale like throughout the cast and crew during rehearsals and performances? TW: It’s a fascinating thing because it takes six weeks to get to the actual performance. The experience is spread out. Everyone felt like they had a complete journey because they went through whole arc of the story. It was a sort of cathartic relief, they actually had an experience of catharsis, and more than an audience could because those moments are so fast in the span of a play. They were exhausted. I put them through a homeless and Nazi extended improvisation that lasted twenty-five minutes—really profound experience, prompting questions of how do you carry that much hatred or anguish or pain? How do you understand it as an actor? How do you convey it to an audience so it has the impact it’s meant to have? They invested a lot in making that come across with integrity.

: How did you all cope with this exhaustion and create it into a catharsis? TW: We often talked about particularly supporting the characters who were doing dangerous things in a holistic way. We have to help the psyche of that character who has to step into that kind of energy. There was a lot of appreciation for stepping into a character who is evil or violent or dangerous. We worked hard to take care of everyone who had to go to those places. We had to break down each scene, beat-to-beat, so it was in the body and understood as an action. There is care in the way these are executed so everyone feels safe and a respect for the seriousness of the moment. They really acknowledged each other for what they achieved.

: That seriousness and respect for each other and the play was evident on stage. TW: Overall, the production was greatly appreciated and valued, even if people had to wrestle with that meaning. They had to acknowledge that enthusiasm for the production and the piece itself, even though it was particularly challenging. That’s what good theater is. It’s meant to provoke and challenge and hopefully to move.

ART BY KATIE HEYWOOD

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THE R OLE O F THE ATER DUR ING TIME S OF DIVISION How performance art can affect its audience when people have opposing views. BY HELENA MUELLER In the midst of change and conflict, it can be difficult to find outlets for the emotions and thoughts that race through one’s head. However, theater has always been a way for people to address the issues that surround them and to express themselves. For centuries, artists have been using their words and performances to bring to light the issues that plague this world. Back in the 1940s, Bertolt Brecht, a German playwright, created theater that challenged the socioeconomic and political tension of the time. Kym Longhi, a theater professor here at the University of Minnesota, has studied Brecht and his theater extensively over her career. She spoke about how Brecht “resisted the hypnosis of the catharsis of theater because he was convinced that whenever an audience is going to a theater they are being trained by whoever is on the stage.” This idea of “training” an audience permeated his work and motivated him to create art that would train people to do more than sit and listen empathetically. Instead, he wanted his audience to be critical of what they were watching. Even some of the most well-known playwrights such as Shakespeare wrote art that highlighted the issues at hand. Shakespeare highlighted the true strength of women during a time where they were often thought of as below men by writing strong characters such as Cleopatra, Rosalind and even Juliet. He utilized his art to showcase a group that was not being accurately portrayed in their society. Most recently, Brandon Victor Dixon, a cast member in the Broadway musical “Hamilton,” addressed the vice president

elect, Mike Pence, after a recent performance. “Art is meant to bring people together. It’s meant to raise consciousness,” Dixon said, a belief that was carried throughout his speech after the show. He spoke out about the diversity of America and the fear that this recent election has instilled in many of this nation’s citizens. This event has sparked debate as to whether or not this direct address to Vice President-elect Pence was appropriate or not. Regardless of where people stand, it raises the question of the role and place that theater and performance art has in today’s society. Many students and faculty here at the University believe that theater’s goal is to provoke questions and emotions for the audience. “Good theater makes you think and feel to profound depths and reminds us that life is rife with questions that baffle,” said Michael Haubner, a second year student in the BA Theater program. Another student, Chrissy Taylor, echoed those thoughts. “Theater is supposed to act as a mirror to reflect something about the audience’s lives back for them in a new way,” he said. Kym Longhi said that one goal within her practice “is to bring work that constantly brings the [current] situation into question,” a feat that can be difficult, but an act that reiterates this need for theater to pose questions.

“Theater draws its transformational power from gathering a collective audience into a public space. The collective impacts the individual’s response and reminds us that we move through the world in relation to others. That power can be used towards various political ends, not necessarily progressive ones,” Kuftinec said. Thinking of theater in this way, every time that people are gathered in a space together, whether that be in a traditional theater, at a rally or at any other public venue, it is seen that those in attendance are being affected not only by the person who has their attention, but also by those around them. This sense of community and shared experience is another way in which theater interacts with the world. It engages those watching and relates to their own community and lives. Through theater, people are able to address the questions of this world and delve into what they truly believe through a shared experience. During these times of division, it is important to continue to engage in these conversations with an open mind and challenge what we believe.

When looking at the role of theater, it is very pertinent to look at theater for social change. Sonja Kuftinec, a professor and director here at the University, has been involved in what a lot of people would call theater for social change for many years now.

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Q&A W I T H PAUL SHAM BR O OM

Art professor discusses campus climate after the recent election

BY ISABELLA MURRAY

The Wake: Tell us about what the climate of the art department has been like throughout all of the election campaigns. Paul Shambroom: A lot of how we teach, or at least how I teach and relate to students, is that art is kind of an expression of what’s going on inside people. It’s not just an expression, but sort of a questioning in a way that helps us make our way through the world. I can’t say that I’ve felt a change in the work that people were doing, at least not in my classes. Our students have always been pretty engaged, I would say, and there’s kind of always been a fair amount of activism and political engagement expressed through their work, and that has continued. I don’t really know that it changed exactly. As long as I’ve been here, it’s always been a pretty important component of subject matter that students have been dealing with in their work. : Do you think that’s just in being at a University, or do you think our campus is specifically politically aware? PS: I think political activism is inherent in art making these days, especially now. I think it’s partially because of the faculty and the work that we do in our own research. We are role models for our students, but they are independent, free thinkers and politically engaged without our prodding. People who go through the world concerned about what’s going on in the political realm are going to express that through their artwork. That’s kind of what we’ve seen as things have come into sharper relief. Certainly during the campaign and with

the result of the election we’ve seen a reflection of that, especially with people that are a part of communities that might feel threatened or under attack, which was a part of the campaign, and is a reality. The Wake: You mentioned that you hadn’t discussed the election with any of your classes post-election. If you had more of an opportunity to do so, how would you have addressed it? PS: I think if I had my morning class, which is an in introductory level photography class with a lot of younger students in it, we would have had a discussion. I can only speculate on what that would have been. I probably would have played it by ear and tried to assess the needs of the students in the class; those who needed to talk out loud and be a part of a group. One reason I’m a little hesitant to speak on behalf of the department is because I don’t know that I would have approached it the way other teachers did. I know a lot of my colleagues told me, “Oh yeah, that’s all we talked about all day, and we took the first hour of class.” It’s really important, for me, to respect all viewpoints. Even though I would want people to feel safe if they feel scared or hurting, it’s also important to me to not get into a shaming situation for people who may have supported the other candidate. : I know you have done work documenting life post 9/11 as well as work about growing up during the Cold War. Do you think there is a similar sense of panic now in our country, compared to those times? PS: You know, I’ve lived through a lot of presidents that seemed horrible, to me. I mean, we don’t need to pretend, I can be partisan in speaking. I was a kid when Nixon was elected, and Reagan, so there have been a lot of presidents where, at the time, it would seem like the political tide was very much on the other side from where my values were, and we survived. This seems different, somehow, I think. I think the level of discourse, if that’s even what it is, is a lot different. I feel the country is a lot more polarized than it’s ever been in my lifetime. I think we’ll be seeing some more provocative artwork. I think there is a sense of impotence and frustration that artists are feeling.

ART BY TAYLOR DANIELS

Artist, photographer, and art department professor Paul Shambroom is no stranger to artistic interpretations of power structures within the United States after having worked on multiple photo series surrounding themes of town meetings, homeland security, and nuclear weapons. In the wake of the recent election, The Wake sat down with Shambroom to discuss campus climate from an artist who has worked closely with middle America’s perspective.

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THE PL A CE OF S ATIR E AF TER THE ELE C TION Comedians struggle with finding the humor in this year’s election BY LIV MARTIN Many know Stephen Colbert from his many years at the helm of “The Colbert Report,” a satire show on Comedy Central where he played a very right-wing, patriotic American character. Now that he has moved on to “The Late Show,” Colbert has tried be less of a caricature and more authentically himself. Colbert did a live election night special, “Stephen Colbert’s Live Election Night Democracy’s Series Finale,” in which viewers were able to see him at his most authentic yet. Colbert, who expected Hillary Clinton to win, was visibly bothered and definitely not his usual chipper and energetic self as the election results came in during the live show. For a man who is so skilled at playing characters and saving face for the sake of entertainment, even he could not keep his true emotions from peeking through during his “Late Show” special. The results of the election hit him just as hard as they did for many other Americans. What resulted was a TV special that was the opposite of funny. It was sad. At one point in the night, Colbert said, “I think we can agree that this has been an absolutely exhausting, bruising election for everyone, and it has come to an ending that I did not imagine.” The Colbert that was on display on election night was a person who was defeated and tired. He tried his best to crack jokes, but his audience was not in the mood for laughter. He became reflective when he told the story of his mother, who was born just two days before women earned the right to vote in America. “I was thinking this was going to be the time that she got what she wanted. She told me, at age 92, right before she died, ‘Oh, I think I would vote for Hillary this time,’” he said. Colbert was just one of a number of comedians who had the difficult task of navigating comedy during the long, drawn-out American presidential election. Kory Pullam, a local comedian with Blackout Improv has had his own way of dealing with the aftermath from the election. Pullam is no stranger when it comes to talking about Donald Trump. At Blackout Improv, they have a “swag hat” where audience members can submit topics for the comedians to improvise on. Pullam says that the topic of Trump has come up “every single show we’ve had for the past four or five months.”

Before the election, it was easy to joke about Trump and all of the outlandish scandals that were uncovered during the campaign process, Pullam said. However, after the shocking results of the election, getting laughs from audience members became much more difficult. “When we were sitting and talking about it [during our show] there wasn’t much laughing,” said Pullam. Blackout Improv is an all-black improv troupe based in Minneapolis, and the audience members who are regularly at their shows are people who were most likely upset with the results of the election. Pullam said that at their first post-election show, the atmosphere was much different than it had been before. “The reality was that it was a lot heavier. The situation wasn’t a joke anymore,” he said. Still, Pullam believes that talking about the reality of what happened is really important. “We are not afraid to go after the serious stuff at Blackout. You have to be real. Sometimes it’s necessary,” he said. Pullam also thinks that it is valuable to start a conversation with others who have different mindsets. He mentioned a recent interview with Trevor Noah, the host of “The Daily Show,” and conservative political commentator Tomi Lahren. Pullam was impressed with how patient and non-confrontational Noah was, while still “truly engaging” with Lahren, delving into important issues that face our country. Pullam believes that the reason why the election was such a shock was because many liberals casted off conservatives as unintelligent or misinformed. “We have to take people seriously who don’t think the same way as we do,” he said. With four years of a Trump presidency ahead for the United States, comedians will continue to struggle with creating bits that are funny rather than depressing. However, they should not take their platforms and influence for granted. Pullam applauds television comedy hosts such as Stephen Colbert, Trevor Noah, and Samantha Bee for talking about issues head-on. Locally, Blackout Improv has always prided itself on taking on hard issues as well, Pullam said. “Now, more than ever, we need comedy and comedians that can step up and speak up to the powerful,” Pullam said.

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PR OMOTING A C TIVISM THR OUGH AR T Minneapolis artists inspire social change BY BELLA DALLY-STEELE Minneapolis-based artist Ricardo Levins Morales is well acquainted with the strong relationship between activism and art. His studio overflows with prints, buttons, and greeting cards, all emblazoned with rousing calls to action—his reputation as an “activist-artist” is well-earned. Morales reflects on the harmony between his two passions: “I’ve always liked to draw, and I’ve always drawn what’s important to me… Now it’s fighting oppression and promoting resilience. It changes a bit, but the key is it’s always what matters to me. So I never went through that process of saying ‘I love doing art, I’m interested in activism, how do I meld them?’ It’s just been organic.” He views his work as medicinal in function, prescribed to treat social maladies. “Some posters are meant to polarize the situation, some to calm it down, some to stimulate memory, some to warn about danger; they’re different diagnoses. The diagnoses are different, but there is an underlying condition. In my opinion, the systemic inflammation that is an epidemic in our consciousness is hopelessness. So that means, no matter what story I’m telling, I have a responsibility to treat the underlying condition of hopelessness.”

And his medicine works. Holding up a poster speckled with bunnies that reads “Bosses beware; when we’re screwed, we multiply,” Morales recalls how the Connecticut chapter of the Postal Workers Union used this design to force administration to locate promised jobs for droves of recently terminated employees. Nathan Ehrlich, a University of Minnesota student, has adopted a similar role, as administrator of ‘medicinal’ art. Ehrlich organized a politically-fueled art exhibit and concert based out of his home and decided with the artists to further the impact of the event by donating the proceeds to Planned Parenthood. “We decided to donate as opposed to make a profit because we all wanted to make an impact on the what the election results were. This was our way of impacting change in a positive way,” he explained. Morales and Ehrlich’s stories are testaments the the real world impact that artistic work can have when it is administered purposefully and intelligently, and serve as reminder that social change is brought about by those who act thusly.

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POST ELE C TION PHOT O E S S AY

We registered to vote. We sent in our absentee ballots. We headed to the polls to fulfill our duties as American citizens and let our voices be heard. For some of us, this past November was our first time voting in a presidential election. The power we held in our hands didn’t intimidate us, but rather, this power encouraged us. Shedding our iconic red stickers from our shirts that read “I voted”, we excitedly gathered around our TV sets and handheld screens as the next chapter in American history began to write itself. Some of our hands trembled as the results came in one state at a time. The polls were proving to have been wrong. The swing states were heading in different directions. Some of our hands trembled as we thought about

Above all the chaos, emotion, conversations on “Campus Climate”, and attempts to see the new path up ahead us, we all felt the echoes of the mad dash Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton left clambering in our ears once the race had been won. But with the same hands that filled out absentee ballots and voted at the polls, we got to work. We took what we were given, and beyond all political parties, views, or ideologieswe came together to decide what the future of our America would look like.

JACOB VAN BLARCOM

PHOTOS BY JACOB VAN BLARCOM

“We shall overcome.”

what the results of this election meant for our nation, our neighbors, and even ourselves. We stayed up late into the night thinking and debating. No matter the outcome, we had joked that election night was the “season finale” of America. But we awoke the next day with groggy eyes and met the silence that had filled our city. The electoral votes were in with more certainty than the night before, and Donald Trump was announced to be the next President. We were surprised. Some of us were scared. In the emptiness that we shared as we went about our days and In the words of President Obama, “... we all go forward, with a presumption of good faith in our fellow citizens—because that presumption of good faith is essential to a vibrant and functioning democracy. That’s how this country has moved forward for 240 years. It’s how we’ve pushed boundaries and promoted freedom around the world. That’s how we’ve expanded the rights of our founding to reach all of our citizens. It’s how we have come this far.” That’s what we, here at the University of Minnesota, shall do: transcend borders, love each other, and even if we cannot hold complete faith in our government, we can hold complete faith in ourselves that will work together for the good of all. personal lives, grabbing our morning coffee and greeting each other in the streets, we asked ourselves “what’s next?” Soon words spilled from our fists; clenched not out of anger, sorrow, or hatred, but with unrest. Some people shouted and took to the streets with signs and the words “Not My President!” We began to pour out our love on small notes of kindness and support that we stuck to the panels on our bridge for the groups of our peers from around the world. “A president doesn’t define its people.” “As long as you are you, you belong right here.”