What do Plato’s Republic, Aristotle’s Poetics, and W.E.B. DuBois’s “Criteria of Negro Art” have to do with Alexander Hamilton?
For students in Prof. Sandra Shapshay’s Philosophy 25800 Aesthetics course, quite a lot.
Those were just some of the texts the students studied in preparation for their trip to see the smash Broadway musical about the founding father, which was created by Hunter College High School alum Lin-Manuel Miranda ’98.
After experiencing the musical — a reframing of the Anglo-centric narrative of the nation’s founding with multi-racial actors — the class discussed its artistry and politics at a communal dinner in a Midtown restaurant, all courtesy of Hunter College.
Shapshay noted the students’ enthusiasm for how Hamilton reinscribed immigrants and people of color into the founding American narrative and their criticisms of the handling of traditional gender roles for women and the absence of Native Americans.
“I was so impressed by the thoughtful engagement students displayed with this now-iconic work of art, and thankful that Hunter College invests in such impactful artistic experiences,” she said.
Each student later penned an essay on the ethics expounded through the aesthetics of the production. For many students, it was their first time at a Broadway production.
“Thank you for providing an opportunity to take advantage of what New York City has to offer as a part of our education,” Hunter-Macaulay Honors College sophomore Filippo Fabbri wrote to Hunter President Nancy Cantor.
The trip was only the latest in a series of excursions and campus events designed to spotlight the relevance of the humanities. A Hunter musicology class this semester attended the final dress rehearsal of the Metropolitan Opera’s new production, Ainadamar, about the murdered Spanish poet-playwright Frederico García Lorca. Meanwhile, the college will conduct a series of faculty-led discussions of global issues under the theme of “Promoting Civil Discourse and Intellectual Dialogue.”
Hunter also announced a new structure for its Office of the Arts, retooling its leadership to enhance students’ engagement with community arts organizations and strengthen pathways to careers in creative industries.
