Education students and community members took the A Pressing Conference podium at Columbia University’s Teachers College to share thoughts on issues in education, for three days of open-mic sessions and voter registration. In addition to being professionally recorded, select student messages were taken in-person by student liaison to New York Senators for advocacy. A Pressing Conference was brought to Columbia University’s Teachers College in conjunction with a larger exhibition entitled Unleashing, curated by Livia Alexander and Isin Onol. Director of Government Relations and student liaison at Teachers College, Matthew Camp, shares his reflections on the experience below.

Experiencing Macon Reed’s “A Pressing Conference”
by Matthew J. Camp, Director of Government Relations at Teachers College

For three days in early October, 60 Columbia graduate students, faculty, and staff stepped up to a hand-made, brightly colored rendition of the White House press briefing room to speak truth to power. To my surprise, no one mentioned Donald Trump. As folks instead dug into real issues about the need for art, education, and healthy communities, I learned for the first time how to truly be an advocate, what it really means to speak out.

Macon Reed’s A Pressing Conference was a rare opportunity for students to get off social media and say what they wanted to say to Washington and to each other. Macon and I encouraged students to make personal statements in a public setting—in a way, art itself—in part as a manifestation of what Prof. Timothy Snyder calls corporeal politics. “Power wants your body softening in your chair and your emotions dissipating on the screen” he says in his book On Tyranny. “Get outside. Put your body in unfamiliar places with unfamiliar people. Make new friends and march with them.”

I’ve been doing government affairs for a while but thanks to this experience, I really saw, felt, and therefore learned how to be an advocate, and how art can be a prompt to wake ourselves up from our quietude. Here’s what I learned.

To be heard by others, we have to be comfortable with the sound of our own voice. Literally. Speaking aloud requires us to be relaxed yet energized. Speaking out creates vibrations in our body that we can feel, and it turns out that it feels good, just like humming, singing or chanting does. Notice how most protests involve chants and songs? To advocate means to speak out, to be vocal.

Listening is hard but necessary. Just listening may help someone work through some difficult issues. While others speak, you'll probably hear a voice in your own head ready to say something. Notice that voice, and then return your attention to the other person's voice. Don't worry that you won't forget what you have to say. As you focus on how your own voice and body is responding to the other person's words, focus on their being-- their words, body movements, and eyes--and allow them the time and space to speak.

Being seen is essential. Each time we express ourselves to the world, we encounter our "edge" of comfortability. Allow yourself to find that edge. As an advocate, finding your edge may take the form of being seen and heard more within your organization. See what it's like to “put yourself out there.” Many of our students were reluctant to step up to the podium because they wanted to be polished and articulate. But amazing things happen when you speak from your true, imperfect self. Like riding a bike for the first time, you become surprised that you’re actually doing it. It’s likely that no one will stop you with your newfound momentum.

Corporeal politics is listening to each other. Corporeal politics is seeing each other. The next person you encounter-- a loved one, a co-worker, a stranger at a store or in the street-- look into their eyes. Look into their eyes for slightly longer than you normally would. Try smiling. See what happens (punchline: they'll probably smile back). By simply making eye contact and listening, you’re fighting back against all the negative energy generated by the White House and in online spaces. Use words when necessary.