Ten years ago, my then-colleagues at a small liberal arts college eyed me with suspicion. To them, I was the resident communist, due to the left-wing reputation of my alma mater. One of the administrators actually voiced the concern that I might "indoctrinate the students." Ironically, I was a lot more moderate and centrist than most of those colleagues. Even though I was not particularly careful what I said (since I didn't have anything to lose), I don't think my students ever had any idea where I stood politically.
Well, things have changed. I now teach at a state university, where many of my colleagues assume that since I am white and go to church (I have been known to take personal days for religious reasons), I must be a Republican, albeit probably a moderate one. Nobody sus- and expects me to indoctrinate my students. But I'm doing it. I didn't even mean to, but I'm doing it nonetheless. Follow me below to see how.
My department expects a minimum length of five pages for each student essay. The problem is that many of my freshmen don't know enough to fill those pages in a way that doesn't make me want to slit my wrists. Their realm of experience is confined to high school and family dysfunction. However, they have plenty of brain activity going on. So I give them very specific essay prompts that force them to do some reading about current issues that concern them.
Of course this semester, some of the topics have to be election-related. For the first essay in Comp II, as a warm-up, I had them respond to an op-ed piece in the local paper. Here is the essay prompt:
In the opinion piece below, Maria Anglin complains about politicians using her favorite tunes as soundtracks for their campaigns. Inspired by her article, write an argument against or in favor of politicians using songs against the artists’ wishes.
To support your point, look up the legal aspect of the controversy. What are the rules for using copyrighted songs at public events? Must the artist be asked? Are there fees to be paid, and whom are they paid to? What, if any, are the penalties for misuse of intellectual property?
As an illustration of your point, mention a specific case (besides the ones mentioned by Maria Anglin), in which a politician linked a well-known song to his or her campaign. How did the artist(s) react? Did the message of the song fit the message of the campaign? Did the politician achieve the desired effect or did he/she end up looking silly?
Document all your sources according to MLA or APA.
To my students the main issue was not copyright or intellectual property but character. In their opinion, John McCain, using songs by artists who obviously do not approve of him, does not look silly but sleazy. They were particularly turned off by the campaign's misappropriation of Jackson Browne's "Running on Empty" for an anti-Obama ad, especially since Browne supports Obama. Not only does it show that McCain does not care about the people he wishes to govern, they concluded, but it is also a stupid move. All those lawsuits and cease-and-desist orders cannot be good for the campaign. Also, aren't there any staffers who actually read the lyrics? How does the campaign reflect on McCain's ability to run anything?
Of all the artists in the world, one young woman wondered, weren't there any that would willingly agree to McCain's use of their music? And if not, what did that say about McCain?
Another student wrote that even if the royalties were paid and McCain was legally right, he was still ethically wrong. He concluded that McCain had lost his vote.
Most of these students come from Republican homes and are quite conservative themselves, but taking a closer look at only one aspect of the GOP campaign has made them question the party their parents taught them to support.
My application for US citizenship is still pending and I will have to sit out this election. But even though I won't be able to vote for Obama this year, thanks to my essay assignment, there might fewer voters for McCain.