This week marks two important dates for William Shakespeare: Although his actual birth date is unknown, he was baptized on April 26, 1564, and died almost 400 years ago on April 23, 1616.
David Evans, president of Southern Vermont College in Bennington, argues that everyone 鈥� literary scholar or not 鈥� should be acquainted with Shakespeare, and not just on the anniversary of his death.
Evans says there are a lot of reasons why he thinks Shakespeare is important, even in the context of the 21st century. 鈥淗e is a massive influence on Euro-American culture, although certainly all over the world as well, but it鈥檚 part of being plugged into a tremendous history of culture and understanding the way a lot of people have thought about the world ... It鈥檚 pretty critical to be engaged with Shakespeare at some level past just a sonnet or two, to be part of contemporary literate culture,鈥� says Evans.
The college president says that even at SVC, a very career-driven school, students can look at Shakespeare for an insight into the way people work. He gives nursing and criminal justice students as an example, because those are SVC鈥檚 two largest programs. 鈥淲ith criminal justice, you think about a play like Othello, which is at one level about the misuse of evidence,鈥� he explains. 鈥淒esdemona鈥檚 handkerchief turns into the core item that causes the plot to turn.鈥�
And for aspiring nurses, Evans points to King Lear. 鈥�I鈥檝e thought a lot about how King Lear is much like the situation that people confront when they have to put a parent in the nursing home, for example. How all of the family anxieties and the stress that King Lear has about giving up his identity and his power are things that are a part of almost everybody鈥檚 experience these days,鈥� says Evans.
Evans thinks that although they are old texts, the ideas and stories in Shakespeare鈥檚 plays still speak to something deep in people. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not just about seeing other people鈥檚 stories and having that kind of learning, but it鈥檚 also tapping into this very critical strand of history and culture,鈥� says Evans. 鈥淚 think it鈥檚 very important for people to have even just a very modest acquaintance with [Shakespeare], because it鈥檚 the currency of a lot of conversations.鈥�
Shakespeare isn鈥檛 the only author to have this profound relevance in society, Evans notes, but others such as Toni Morrison are doing the same kind of work in present day culture.
"I think it's very important for people to have even just a very modest acquaintance with [Shakespeare], because it's the currency of a lot of conversations." - David Evans, president of Southern Vermont College
As its new president, Evans is excited to bring some of his passion for literature and the arts to Southern Vermont College, along with other new programming. 鈥淚鈥檇 like to ensure that the humanities and the arts have an appropriate, good strong role here at SVC so that we can do the kinds of things that I鈥檓 talking about for all of our students,鈥� says Evans.
He adds that he鈥檚 ready to help give the school more of a presence. 鈥淚鈥檓 also interested in enhancing the college鈥檚 visibility. We鈥檙e tucked in this lovely corner of Southwestern Vermont, but I don鈥檛 think we have a tremendous presence in the mind of Vermont," he says. "And I鈥檇 like to increase that some."
