Every student and graduate is proud to say: “We are Marquette! We are engineers. We are nurses. We are resident assistants. We are athletes. We are theologians.” But what about, “We are … artists?” Now that’s something you don’t hear at this school.
As a Jesuit institution of higher education, Marquette University stands firmly by the ideal of cura personalis. Marquette not only incorporates this principle into its curriculum but encourages students to put it into practice in their everyday lives so that we might graduate as well-rounded individuals ready to successfully take on whatever this world can throw at us.
If Marquette endeavors to be an institution that strives to care for the whole person, then isn’t fine art in its many forms a part of the human spirit that at some level needs to be nurtured? Whether it is something as simple as creating studio spaces across campus for the purpose of making fine art or going as far as to institute a fine arts department, we at the Tribune feel that something here needs to change.
Some might argue that Marquette is not a fine arts school; therefore, if students want to study the fine arts then they should attend an institution specific to those interests. In response to that notion, we point to all of the other core requirements that make us such a wonderful Jesuit institution. For example, not every student who enrolls at Marquette is interested in theology or philosophy or foreign language, yet every student, regardless of major, is still required to take at least one of each of these classes in order to fulfill their graduation requirements.
These core requirements are essential to a Jesuit education, and they are part of what makes Marquette stand out — for the better — from other universities across the country. Yet something is lacking when we are not addressing every element of the human spirit in our curriculum.
Yes, Marquette and the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design have a partnership that allows Marquette students to exercise their creative juices by taking classes at MIAD’s campus in the Third Ward. However, MIAD’s three-hour classes are difficult to fit into a schedule already packed full of Marquette courses, and they fill up fast. The program is not a realistic way to make artistic opportunities accessible to every student.
In addition, Marquette is lacking in fine arts facilities. We’re not forgetting about our lovely Helfaer Theatre or the beautiful Haggerty Museum of Art, but there is no space on campus designated for the sole purpose of creating and practicing fine art. If you are part of Marquette’s band, orchestra or choir groups, you are fortunate enough to have swipe access to the practice rooms in the Weasler Auditorium, but the rest of us are out of luck. Even our art club — did you know we have an art club? — meets at the museum, not in a separate studio space conducive to creative expression.
The Rec Center and Rec Plex are both on-campus locations where any student can go and get their sweat on. So why don’t we have studio spaces where students can exercise their creative sides?
These propositions are for a better future Marquette. As for now, get out and take advantage of the creativity already blossoming on campus. Catch a performance of “Defying Gravity” at the Helfaer, wander though the latest exhibitions at the Haggerty or head over to the Annex for Marquette Radio’s Spotlight MKE event this weekend.
There is incredible creativity already buzzing throughout this campus, and it’s growing. It’s time Marquette embraces these talents and makes them a part of what this school is all about.