SENSITIVE TOPICS IN CLASS

WRITTEN BY MAKENZIE CHRISTIE

MACKENZIE CHRISTIE

DESIGNED BY LILIANA MORA

When we study the arts, we are studying reflections of the world we live in. This is accompanied by a truth that we should all know well by this point – this world we’re living in isn't always easy.

From depictions of sexual violence, drug addiction, abuse, and violence, we are often forced to engage with material that is morally and ethically challenging. Opposite to real life, though, art has the capability to expose us to these ideas in an exploratory and self-contained space.

Kerry Hasler-Brooks, Chair of the Language, Literature, and Writing Department, feels that engaging with difficult concepts in literature is a crucial element of her academic work.

“Rather than asking ‘Can I teach this text,’ I'm more concerned with understanding how best to teach it,” Hasler-Brooks said.

“You want to require a student to step out of themselves so that learning really can happen, but you also have to do it in a way that cares for them, ensuring that they aren’t made to study these ideas in a way that is harmful.”

The case is no different in the art of film. Tara Whitehead is a Communications and Film Professor who left working in Hollywood to pursue a career in education. She believes that there is a fine line between unpacking difficult topics versus showcasing dangerous media.

“I am very intentional in the way we “unpack” certain topics,” Whitehead said. “To be honest, films and television that serve the sole purpose of emotionally manipulating the audience through exploitative narratives don’t always deserve to be unpacked or platformed at all.”

Of course, the introduction of challenging topics into the educational sphere will yield mixed reactions from students.

Vera Manila, a sophomore English major, feels that it is important to present these learning opportunities to students, but they must be critically evaluated before the material enters the classroom.

“I think a big part of learning is being uncomfortable and engaging with things you might not come across otherwise,” Manila said. “But when something can be considered detrimental, then I would begin considering if what a student is gaining from reading the text is worth what it could be costing them.”

Manila expresses that there must also be room for students to opt in and out of specific course material if they feel it may cause them harm.

“I’d never seek to ban a book or class material,” Manila said. “I just think we shouldn’t force students to encoun ter certain material that might be more harmful than helpful to them…The whole conversation raises the question of what is permissible versus helpful to engage with in the classroom.”

Angel Ortiz, a junior Film major, consid ers the most important element of teaching these topics to be the ethical responsibilities of the professor.

“When those topics come up, there are al ways content warnings, it’s never thrown at you unexpectedly. It’s definitely the role of the professor to ethically moderate those conversations to make sure they’re pointed in the right direction.”

Despite the challenges that exist when we attempt to unpack difficult themes, there is immense benefit that can come out of this type of work.

“I think it's really important be cause everyone is able to grow in those conversations: it raises aware ness of difficult topics, and gives peo ple the opportunity to tear down those stigmas,” Ortiz said. “Issues of sexism, racism, mental health, suicide, they’re all real life things that happen to people and need to be talked about.”

Hasler-Brooks agrees with this sentiment, believing it is through challenging material that we grow the most, both as academics and as people.

“I do think it's hard, but I also do not shy away from obviously challenging content…I might actually say I lean into it,” Hasler-Brooks said. “I believe not preparing students to join hard conversations is actually the most detrimental thing we can do to them.”

Ethan Oates, a Junior Broadcasting and Media Production major, takes this idea one step further, arguing that the class conversation should incite action that tackles these topics in real life.

“It's good to talk about these subjects in class, but if no one is actually going to do anything with that new knowledge, then I think that's where a lot of people mess up,” Oates said. “These things need to be more about what we do after we become aware of issues in our world.”

Whitehead seconds this notion, adding that there is a level of spiritual and religious responsibility that accompanies this practice if we are to seek change in the world.

“I do think it’s important to critique culture and how it represents or manipulates viewers thinking about secular and religious norms,” Whitehead said.

“Christian scholars should not eschew controversy. Rather, we should think about how to thoughtfully critique it and engage in solution-based discourse.”

Lydia Slocum Feeble Li Ttle Horse

The Pittsburgh-based band feeble little horse was formed by Sebastian Kinsler and Ryan Walchonski in 2021. After adding a third member, Jake Kelley, they recorded their EP "Modern Tourism", which was released in May 2021. The following month, the trio added one final member to their group who would undeniably help in establishing a name for themselves in the underground music scene; Lydia Slocum.

Slocum is a junior Studio Art major here at Messiah University, but her college experience is anything but standard. Balancing two vastly different worlds on her shoulders, Slocum expresses that as she joined feeble little horse, she felt a sense of recognition she failed to experience in her prior environments.

“My dad is an Anglican priest, my mom is the daughter of an Anglican bishop, and my sister went here too… so 17 or 18 years of Christian schooling is all I’ve had,” Slocum said. “The band stuff was the first time I ever had a non-Christian environment, and it was this moment of realizing ‘Oh my god, I finally feel like I fit in.’

“At Messiah, some times I feel weird, and I can tell peo ple make certain assumptions about me because of how I look,” Slocum said. “But when I go to play at shows, suddenly everyone looks like this. Peo ple know who I am, they take pictures with me, and then I come back here to my little campus and my small friend group…it kind of feels like my own Messiah Island.”

The intersection of Slocum’s academic studies and creative projects allow her to expand her horizons in ways she never thought possible. Not only has feeble little horse been signed to the recognized indie label "Saddle Creek" in 2021, but they have also developed their own independent label known as "Unstable Collective".

“I want to do art, I want to design things, and now that we have our label that we made, I can use our platform to do what I'm studying to do. We are going to use "Unstable Collective" to make lots of things, not just music.”

The band’s 2021 album "Hayday" was remixed and rereleased after signing to Saddle Creek. Despite the more deliberate methods the band often adheres to when creating new songs, Slocum describes the creation of "Hayday" to be their most enjoyable and spontaneous creative process yet.

“Hayday as a whole is so special to me because it was so spontaneous, an entirely different creative experience than anything that’s come after that. We just said yes to everything, did it in about three days, and at the end I couldn’t believe it had happened. We’ve definitely made better songs, but it hasn’t been as fun of an experience as that album was.”

For Slocum, the band is more than just noise, lights, and shows. It represents the fulfillment of a purpose that has been in the works for a lifetime, and the overwhelming sense of connection and belonging.

“I’ve had this urgent feeling for a lot of my life that there's something I need to make, and it's worth making and sharing, and I feel like I found the perfect puzzle pieces to do it,” Slocum said. “feeble little horse helped me make something I couldn’t have made on my own, but they couldn’t have made it without me either.”

“Now I’m thinking ‘Finally, I can breathe out’ …I made one thing people can enjoy, and now it’s out in the world.”

"The biggest thing I’ve gained from this is the connections I’ve made, and the connections we make possible,"

"With this band, we can make people congregate and feel that sense of community I always felt when I went to shows. You can enjoy being in a crowd, you can feel understood.”

Slocum said.

Slocum is planning on transferring from Messiah to Chatham University in the fall of 2023 to continue her academic studies and musical pursuits. However, as she prepares to leave her “Messiah Island" behind, she recognizes how intimately tied this campus is to her early memories of the band.

“I remember recording songs in a little earbud microphone in my Naugle dorm freshman year," Slocum said. "I was in the Union the first time I ever listened to something Sebastian made. I made our album cover for "Hayday" in my bible night class with Larry Poston, the whole thing.”

“A lot of my memories are so tied to this location, and I think I'll realize that more and more after I leave. It’s going to be a bittersweet departure.”

Though Slocum’s journey through college and young adult life has been somewhat of an unorthodox ride, she feels that the experience has been a dream come true.

“I’ve made so many friends during this journey, everyone has been so supportive…I could never have dreamed of it at all… I'm very grateful for the way things have lined up, honestly I wouldn’t change a thing.”