Mirror - Vol. 20, No. 04 - October 12, 1995

              The
FairfieldMIRR©R Volume 20, Number 4 Thursday, October 12, 1995 The Image of Fairfield
Spike Lee speaks on how to do the right thing
Kristen Finello
Staff Writer
"I think the country
comes together by
acknowledging the great divide
and saying that race does matter.
Only by having a dialogue can
we get understanding. We can't
have a colorblind society."
So began the dialogue
when Spike Lee, acclaimed
producer/director/writer/actor,
addressed the Alumni Hall crowd
during aFUSA sponsored lecture
on Tuesday, October 10.
Lee, no newcomer to
the college auditorium, noted that
since 1987 he has spoken at over
100 colleges and universities.
"For me, I enjoy getting to see
what my audience looks like
since students make up a large
percent ofmoviegoers,"Lee said.
By sharing his experiences as a
young filmakerLee said he hopes
to show students that "successful
people did not get that way
overnight. Us good for students
to hear how I started out from
humble beginnings." While
Lee's beginnings may be
humble, he is up-front about the
success he has achieved as a
filmmaker.
Lee has garnered a
great deal of attention in recent
years for his candid exploration
of racial inequality. Some of
Lee's best known films include
Do the Right Thing (1989), Mo'
Better Blues (1990), Jungle
Fever (1991), and Malcolm X
(1992). Most of Lee's films
feature realistic situations in
the lives of African-American
residents of Lee's Bedford-
Stuyvesant neighborhood. Lee
cites the death of a young
African-American man who
was chased onto the highway
"by a bat-wielding group of
Italian-American youths" as
the inspiration for what he
describes as "an honest look at
race relations in Do the Right
Thing."
Lee, 38, is a graduate
of Morehouse College in his
native Atlanta, Georgia. He
received his Master of Fine
Arts degree in film production
from New York University's
Tisch School of the Arts.
In addition to films,
Lee has also produced and
directed music videos for such
-well-known artists as Branford
Marsalis, Tracy Chapman,
Stevie Wonder, Prince, Anita
Baker, Naughty by Nature and
Public Enemy. "Fight the
Power," a song by Public
Enemy is featured in Lee's Do
the Right Thing.
Commercial work
has been another outlet for
Lee's creative talent.
Commercials for Nike Air
Jordans and Levi's Button-Fly
501 Jeans are among the
products whose commercials
bear Lee's distinctive mark.
Lee is also the author of five
books on film making.
Critics' reviews of
Lee' s films have run the gamut
from exaltation to disgust.
Some see his indictments of
racial inequality as "a
courageous call to conscience
- a jeremiad against racism"
(People Weekly, December 25,
1989). Others claim that Lee's
films are inflammatory, an
invitation to violence and
rioting. Lee addressed this
point during his Fairfield
lecture saying , "In no way,
shape, or form did I think that
film [Do the Right Thing]
would result in rioting across
the country." He also pointed
out that the public doesn't
blame equally violent Arnold
Schwartzeneggar-type films
for inciting violence.
During his lecture,
Lee was asked to comment on
his feelings about the O.J.
Simpson verdict. Lee said
that he was surprised by the
verdict, but even more
surprised by the public's
reaction to it. "People have
been sent to the slammerbefore
without people saying 'Let's
tear down the entire judicial
system.'"
The message that Lee
left for Fairfield University
students regarding their role in
ending racial inequality was
an optimistic one. "College
campus can be used as a
laboratory where students can
start work [on understanding
among different races] and make
a difference."
Lee's next project will
be a film on the life of Jackie
Robinson in celebration of the
50th anniversary of Robinson
"breaking the color barrier" in
American baseball.
And so continues the
legacy of this young filmmaker
who concluded, "There's
nothing in the world that makes
me happier than making films."
Did we overcome the racial incidents on campus
Christine Hamel
News Editor
It was almost one year
ago when the hateful words were
written in one of the residence
halls. The message was:
"Fuck unity
minorities. The White Race is
superior. I think we should hang
all blacks. Chinks, and Spies.
Let's Unite and form a new
generation of KKK. To all my
white brothers and sisters, let's
take over what was once ours.
Minorities just cause problems
and we don't need them. All
blacks go back to Africa, all
Chinks go to hell and all spies
should get on their banana boats
and go back to their island. If by
10:30 am all minorities don't
leave Fairfield University, me
and my fellow brothers will start
killing and raping minority
bitches."
This message was
signed by people referring to
themselves as the KKK and
decorated by several swastikas.
According to Gwen
Vendley, Dean of students, the
Fairfield community has become
more aware of multiculturalism
and diversity since the incidents
took place. There have been
several activities that have
occurred dealing with the theme
of multiculturalism and
diversity. Starting with the class
of 1999, there is a requirement
in multiculturalism and diversity
that students must fulfill to
graduate. This requirement is
to make students aware ofothers.
The film series has also been
started by the committee on
multiculturalism and diversity.
FUSA introduced a new vice
president seat to help in spreading
information to and from the
AHANA community.
Fairfield has hosted
numerous discussions and
speakers. The convocation
became open to all students this
year and helped to enhance the
feeling of multiculturalism and
diversity through personal
experiences. Spike Lee shared
his feelings on campus earlier
this week after accepting an
invitation from FUSA.
The Black Studies
minor came about this year while
the Latin American and Asian
Studies program expanded.
Several additions to course
selections were made which
helped in trying to give insight to
students.
Vendley feels that
students have become more aware
of the communities within the
larger community. By this,
students are respectful of the
communities and if they are not
they have to face the challenge
from other students.
According to Vendley,
the event last year was necessary
to be exposed so everyone can
really see "the pain and festering
sore of racism and prejudice in
general and allowing the
possibility of healing to occur."
OnMarchland2,1996,
Fairfield University will host "The
Meaning of Multiculturalism &
Diversity For Catholic Higher
Education." The idea of the
conference came from the
diversity conference. It is
designed to examine the
meaning of multiculturalism
and diversity, especially as they
pertain to Catholic higher
education. It is supposed to
identify strategies for
promoting personal and
institutional understanding. All
Jesuit universities are invited
as well as all Catholic
universities in the Northeast,
and other institutions that might
be interested. The focus will be
on the moral and human
imperative.
"Out of the trauma of
last year's experiences many
good things evolved - the most
important being the growing
awareness on campus of the
value and richness ofdiversity,"
Vendley said.
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