'Arts Fest,' Not 'Arts First'

As one who has participated enthusiastically in the Arts First celebrations in my years at Harvard, I am proud of the tradition and grateful to be part of a community where music, dance, theater and the visual arts are so visibly supported. Before I graduate, however, I would like to voice a single complaint with regard to the name "Arts First" itself.

The name suggests that the arts at Harvard have a chip on their shoulder. The designation "Arts First" seems to imply that, for one weekend, academics, athletics, spiritual exercises and other activities are to be demoted to secondary or tertiary status beneath the arts. Conversely, it implies that the arts themselves are devalued for the rest of the year, whereas for a large section of the Harvard community, the arts are an integral part of daily and weekly life, year-round.

If the title is meant as a political statement--"Appreciate the arts"--then it is surely overstated. The arts deserve (and have to a great degree attained) an important and integral place in the life of the College. But it would be sheer nonsense to campaign for primacy of the arts over other activities.

I would suggest, then, that the name of the event be changed, perhaps to "Arts Fest." This title, I think, more accurately reflects the nature of the event as simply a celebration of the arts at Harvard, a celebration that brings together in concentrated form the myriad artistic activities that engage students and Faculty year-round without implying any insecurity about the place of the arts in our hierarchy of values. --Brent Rannalli '97