Installation art challenges awareness of economy on campus
Angelina Gennis '10
Issue date: 10/8/08 Section: Features
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On the afternoon of Sept. 30, a small group of students banded together to form an installation art piece, which they termed "an a-political statement," designed to evoke thought amongst the community in regards to the current economic crisis.
Mell Scalzi '09, Alex Bandazian '09, Riley Waggaman '10, Sam Brown '09 and Katherine Abraham '09 stood in the dimple dressed 'hobo chic', holding signs warning, "Fear the second coming of the Great Depression!" and "Free soup and bread for the homeless."
"It was super last minute," said Brown.?"I e-mailed some friends, went to CVS for supplies, did a quick Wikipedia search. I'm happy it turned out so well."
Despite a slight rain, the artists stood their ground, singing Woody Guthrie songs such as "This Land Is Your Land" and reciting the Hobo code of ethics.
The Hobo code of ethics was written by Tourist Union #63 during the 1889 National Hobo National Convention in St. Louis Missouri. The code includes such laws as, "Always try to find work, even if temporary, and always seek out jobs nobody wants. By doing so you not only help a business along, but insure employment should you return to that town again."
With the Boston Globe and New York Times in hand, the artists noted the irony of depicting hobos during such turbulent times.
"Life hasn't actually changed for us," says Bandazian, referring to Wheaton students, who remain practically unaffected by the struggling financial sector on Wall Street.
Brown said, "It's an inoffensive way to raise awareness."
Students walking around the dimple stopped to interact with the artists, who welcomed curious onlookers and freely answered questions.
Vereene Parnel, Associate Dean of SSSR stopped by to observe the installation and noted that though the appearance of the students may at first seem humorous, "I'm afraid I'm taking [the financial crisis] too seriously to laugh." She added that the installation was a powerful tool as "a way of paying attention" to the economic situation of our country.
"It just goes to show that it's possible to put something together in the wee hours of the morning that affects the entire campus," said Brown.
In the future the students hope to collaborate with the Activist house at 22 Howard for more installation pieces on campus. As Brown said, "We're all politically motivated, we have different skills and talents, and while we're not an official group yet, we'll do something where we see fit."
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