Edition No. 51
Arts and Culture
Live musicians take guests on a magical journey during Detroit Candlelight Concert Series’ The Nutcracker — a cherished holiday staple.
Community and Family
The War Memorial is delighted to share Learn with Smithsonian, the Smithsonian’s exclusive virtual engagement activities geared toward kids and teens.
American Democracy
A recent analytical piece by the Post considered new district maps for the US House of Representatives from 15-states which have completed that phase of reapportionment. Learn more about the process and the partisan impact of redistricting.
The Nutcracker: by Candelight
Thinking about new ways to enjoy your holiday favorites? The Detroit Candlelight Concert Series offers a host of performances illuminated by candlelight and presented by live musicians in some of the most iconic venues in Detroit. Music enthusiasts will delight in unique classical musical performances staged in a romantic candlelit setting. Tchaikovsky’s “The Nutcracker” is up next and set to radiate through the historic Basilica of Ste. Anne de Detroit.
Prepare to be taken into the clouds with some of the most treasured wintertime classics from Tchaikovsky, Vivaldi, and other master composers during this unique music series
Smithsonian’s 3D Program
As we welcome the community to stop by our Carriage House and take a tour of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History traveling exhibition Voices and Votes: Democracy in America, The War Memorial is also excited to share a variety of virtual engagements the Smithsonian offers exclusively for kids and teens! Young learners can enjoy art, history, and culture activities and games — including Smithsonian 3D!
Smithsonian’s 3D Program is a small group of technologists working within the Smithsonian Institution Digitization Program Office. The team focuses on developing solutions to further the Smithsonian's mission of "the increase and diffusion of knowledge" using three-dimensional capture technology, analysis tools, and its distribution platform.
From the comfort of your couch, peruse through 11 museums and 24 collections of some of the world’s most treasured artifacts.
“Competitive House districts are getting wiped off the map”
– Washington Post, November 23, 2021
As Michigan works to de-politicize its legislative redistricting process through the use of an independent citizens commission, other states appear to be moving in the opposite direction.
In a November 23rd an analytical piece, the Post’s Ashlyn Still, Harry Stevens, and Kevin Uhrmacher considered new district maps for the US House of Representatives from 15-states which have completed that phase of reapportionment.
Their conclusion?
That the new maps from those 15 states would create fewer competitive US House districts and so may increase the likelihood of continued hyper partisanship in Congress. The Post measured the competitiveness of the new and old districts by looking at the results of the 2020 Presidential election.
In the 15 states examined, the number of districts where the 2020 Presidential vote was within five percentage points fell from 23 in the old districts to just 10 in the new districts. At the same time, the number of districts strongly favoring one specific party -- by fifteen percentage points or more rose -- from 45 to 59.
For a state-by-state look at the data, as well as a consideration of the likely partisan impact of the new districts, follow the link below.
FiveThirtyEight is also following reapportionment closely. Follow the link below to an interactive tool allowing you to see the current state of play for redistricting in many more states.
Inspired Thoughts is a collection of highly curated content that embraces the spirit and purpose of The War Memorial: arts and culture, community enrichment, leadership, and patriotism.
Derived from the notion that learning from others is the key to success, Inspired Thoughts is meant to shine a light on those making a difference in the world around them. This collection features artists, poets, writers, architects, and every thought leader in-between. Inspired Thoughts is the strongest reflection of what The War Memorial stands for, and what we aim to be.
The content featured on Inspired Thoughts is curated by War Memorial leadership — we also look forward to featuring special guest curators in the near future. If you are interested in providing content for Inspired Thoughts, please email our Communications team at dmurphy@warmemorial.org.