As
we walked away from the Chapel today, I felt a sense of guilt for not visiting
previously. I understood the history behind our school but never comprehended
the historical significance of the Chapel itself. Today, I was able to appreciate the history that surrounds and incorporates our school more.
Like
we’ve discussed in class, people tend to normalize memorials and statues they
pass on daily. Like the sunbathers at the foot of Lee’s statue in Richmond, the
meaning of the memorial transforms depending on the views exposure to it.
Our
group posed some interesting questions and made several observations throughout
the tour. An observation made by Ralston as the two of us left the area with
Lee’s statue, regarded the Virginia State Seal. On the state flag,
traditionally, the left breast is exposed, while both breasts are covered on
Lee’s statue. When Ralston asked Mrs. Wilkins her thoughts, she claimed it was
an artist choice, but I think it would be interesting to analyze the conscious,
if any, choice to covering both breasts.
I
do not have any pictures for this blog post today, as I decided not to bring my
phone to the Chapel so that I could focus more on the site itself. Overall, I really enjoyed our class visit to
the R.E. Chapel and plan to return with my friends and peers so that they can
experience the unique history our school has to offer.
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