TO THE EDITOR:
While walking through Ackland Museum today, I spied a Sake cup commemorating the Manchurian Railway in Korean. The cup was beautiful.
On the inside was painted a detailed map of the Manchurian Railway running through the Korean peninsula. I thought that railroad must not be there anymore, either broken in half by the DMZ or completely destroyed by past wars. I enjoyed the cup's beauty along with 44 other sake cups on display. Like any piece of art, this cup that I admired tells a story. It is a piece of a descriptive history.
Though the story of the railway is incomplete, the power of the artifact generated thoughts inside of me.
I enjoy art because it teaches me something about myself.
My humanity is preserved in that delicate Sake cup. Though it is small and appears fragile, it pours out the powerful thought that all things change.
Protected by friendly guards and protective glass that Sake cup can hold endless possibilities for the viewer. I wonder if the monuments in McCorkle Place make my classmates feel endless possibilities or if it reminds them of just one.
With a heavy heart and hope for change,
Michael Pace
