One More Concern: Will Milwaukee Miss Its Moment?

This summer was going to be Milwaukee’s “coming out” party. With the Democratic National Convention coming to town in July, the Milwaukee Bucks poised to play for a championship, the rest of the country—even the world—would have a chance to see Milwaukee in a different way. As a city on the rise; as a community that never fails to surprise its visitors; as a place that turns new arrivals into the city’s biggest cheerleaders. It would be our chance to drive a stake through the heart of cringe-worthy, decades-long associations. Milwaukee: the home of Laverne and Shirley. Milwaukee: the home of Jeffrey Dahmer.

The DNC convention and the NBA playoffs have yet to be canceled. But the specter of the COVID-19 pandemic is real and makes you wonder. Will the coronavirus cause Milwaukee to miss its moment? More disturbing, could it reverse a new momentum in the city and exacerbate our most difficult challenges?

In a world of social distancing, stay-at-home orders, and ventilator shortages, those questions rightfully pale in comparison to life and death matters, and questions about how to deal with a serious public health threat. But in addition to thoughtful planning and strong civic leadership, a city’s destiny is determined by a fair amount of serendipity, or at the very least, good timing. Before the coronavirus hit, Milwaukee was poised for a very special summer.

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Ireland Reflections 2020 — Famine and Emigration

At the end of our first day in Dublin, we spent some time learning about the impact of the potato famine on Ireland and on the world.  We visited the Jeanie Johnston, an authentic replica of a transport ship commonly used during the Great Famine/Great Hunger that is docked in Dublin and serves as a memorial to those who lost their lives in their voyages to North America.

3L student Hayden Knight remarked, “The conditions were a bit jarring, but what affected me more was the knowledge that traveling the original Jeanie Johnston was actually a carefully designed operation and the conditions were far better than on most’coffin ships’ of the time. Touring the ship impressed upon me the sheer will and desperation of the Irish people to find a better life, even if that meant sailing across the ocean and being worked to the bone upon arrival to pay for the journey.”

Let me note that the Jeanie Johnston was also the site of one of the funniest moments of the trip.  In the ship, they have mannequins on the bunks and at the table to simulate how crowded it was.  Our wonderful colleague Nadelle Grossman tried to include one of the mannequins in the conversation by handing him a piece of paper to read–we were all so tired and bleary-eyed–but it was just the pick up that the students needed!  They laughed all day about it.

The day ended with a visit to the EPIC museum. This museum blew me out of the water the first time I saw it several years ago.  As opposed to most local history museums which celebrate the heritage of those who live in an area, this museum celebrates the departure of the Irish for the rest of the world.  It talks first about why that has happened over the years–so it’s a good review of Irish history–and then focuses on the impact of the Irish around the world–in politics, art, music, literature, and science.  Micaela Haggenjos describes the tour as “an interactive museum that gave us a look at a broad overview of Irish culture, particularly through the eyes of Irish emigrants.” Hayden added, “The museum was brilliantly designed and had some of really intriguing and interactive exhibits that walked us from the period of the Great Famine/Hunger through to current day.”

Interior of the museum

I also wanted to include a picture of the Samuel Beckett (aka Harp) Bridge in Dublin–if you’ve seen the Milwaukee Art Museum, you will recognize the architect–Santiago Calatrava.  Just beautiful!

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Ireland Reflections 2020

Ireland trip group prior to flight In what seems to be the theme for this Spring 2020 Semester, we made a change in this year’s spring break trip. Instead of heading to Israel, our traditional trip for the last decade, a group of 30 students two faculty, and myself headed to Ireland and Northern Ireland for a look at Comparative Conflict Resolution. For about 10 of the students, the trip was a compliment to last year’s Israel / Palestine experience, while for many others, this was a trip of firsts.

I should note off the bat that this was a first for all of us to come home to this uncertainty and new normal. We left in early March worried about small outbreaks and came home to quarantines, home isolation and remote classes. In the vein of keeping us thinking about interesting things, though, I wanted to get the blogs going and share reflections from the students.

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