Student Government Research

My research focused on the history of community government at Antioch College. CG involved students, faculty, administrators and staff. It was a staple of Antiochian  education. Referred to as "A laboratory for democracy," CG was valued as a way to encourage students to become active participants in democracy after college.

Tanja took a different approach. She researched a few histories of student government. Some students actually unionized. Many student governments have paid positions for students occupying offices.

Live Blogging at WYSO

Tanja and I arrived at WYSO at 5:45. It was still dark and the morning dew was lightly frosted. We finished our cigarettes and entered the building. Outside things were slow, but inside people were wired despite having been up late--or all night.

There wasn't much work to do on our shift. We made some coffee. We ate a few Twizzlers and pretzels. A strange combo of left over snacks.

We typed and posted radio scripts to WYSO's blog. We were charged, in some cases, with titling the posts. It was interesting to observe my own hesitation, fretting over the minuscule responsibility. Alas, people title articles and blog posts. I am a person.

It was fun to watch the radio broadcasters prepare their spots, rushing around the studio for audio files, or things off the wire, to the studio just as the ON AIR light flashed on.

The experience was memorable. I would love to work in similar environment.

Social Change in The Age of Anonymous

We watched We Are Legion: The story of the Hacktivists  in class October 23rd. It is a documentary about Anonymous, a very loosely associated group of hackers or hacktivists, as they've come to be known.

The film explores some of the history of Anonymous, from early hacktivists groups like Cult of the Dead Cow to its beginning on the website 4Chan. Through interviews with those involved, some of which have served or are facing time in prison, writers and academics the documentary paints the collectives narrative as a rise from Internet shits and giggles to a global social movement.

Brian Mettinbrink's story was the most fascinating to me. By participating in a distributed denial of service (DDos) attack Brian was sentenced to a year in federal prison and one year supervised release in which he cannot touch a computer. A DDos attack is the internet version of a sit in. Quite an extreme punishment for an act of protest.

The DDos on Scientology was named Chanology. Anonymous took down Paypal, Visa and Mastercard when they froze transaction to Wikileaks. They helped provide internet during the Arab Spring and have served as tech support to the Occupy movements.

Inspired by the last scene in V for Vendetta, where the masses march to parliament, Anonymous has adopted the Guy Fawkes mask. 

Here is their video announcing that they were joining OWS.

What I like most about the idea of Anonymous is that they are not unified entity with a list of demands. There is no set of tenets they must swear by. Some members do not agree that Anonymous should be involved in social change with an agenda. The fact that enough members have the conviction to use their skills to fight power, to push for what they believe is positive social change, that they have changed what Anonymous is, to me, is extremely encouraging. A ray of hope in a dark world.


11/17/12

Anonymous targets Israel.

 

Creative Piece for the Student Union

Last week we shared our creative pieces for our final projects. Tanja created a presentation that was used during our meeting in which we revealed the Student Union constitution to the student body. She presented the material which featured some of our fliers.
These two were not presented in class:
Grapevine
Mouth

I created a letter head featuring a symbol the Student Union may adopt as well as a piece of satire featured below.

We the Students of Antioch Midwest, in order to form a Student Union, have gathered each Saturday at lunch. No one would disagree that the AUM is a student centered institution with its pyramid structure, administrators making over six figures, and total lack of student activities. Nonetheless, a group of communist agitators and their mindless lackeys have insisted on forming this group to facilitate student involvement on campus.  

It is obvious that the students of AUM do not want academic amenities. Sustainability majors enjoy talking about their field, rather than working in one. New graduates prefer to go-it-alone when entering the workforce rather than relying on the assistance of a pesky Career Services Department. Those student pursuing careers in Academia don’t want to be bothered with T.A. positions.  

If we really wanted such things, why would we borrow thousands of dollars in student loans for a degree from an institution like Antioch? It is not as if we feel pressured by our society to pursue an education in order the get a decent job. We are definitely not  inspired by the success stories on the walls of AUM. Certainly we are not interested in an educational experience that values our individual experience rather than focusing on numbers of incoming and graduating students. We are not impressed by our passionate faculty or the legacy of Horace Mann. 

We chose Antioch University Midwest because the building looks nice. There are no scraps of tape of the windows and doors. We chose AUM because  they decorate their halls with local high school art. Finally, we chose AUM because, it has white Roman style pillars. Despite our satisfaction with this institution, we, the communist agitators of the Student Union, ask that you join our group in order to force unwilling participants to pretend to transform this institution for the benefit of no one at all.

How to Swift an opinion

Last week's class discussion focused on Swiftian Satire. After discussing Irony and its off shoots we discussed Jonathan Swift's, A Modest Proposal. This 283 year old essay was ground breaking in its day.
This form of  persuasion adopts a ludicrous position and takes it to its logical and absurd conclusion, stopping at some point for the voice of reason.

"I can think of no one objection, that will possibly be raised against this proposal, unless it should be urged, that the number of people will be thereby much lessened in the kingdom. This I freely own, and 'twas indeed one principal design in offering it to the world. I desire the reader will observe, that I calculate my remedy for this one individual Kingdom of Ireland, and for no other that ever was, is, or, I think, ever can be upon Earth. Therefore let no man talk to me of other expedients: Of taxing our absentees at five shillings a pound: Of using neither cloaths, nor houshold furniture, except what is of our own growth and manufacture: Of utterly rejecting the materials and instruments that promote foreign luxury: Of curing the expensiveness of pride, vanity, idleness, and gaming in our women: Of introducing a vein of parsimony, prudence and temperance: Of learning to love our country, wherein we differ even from Laplanders, and the inhabitants of Topinamboo: Of quitting our animosities and factions, nor acting any longer like the Jews, who were murdering one another at the very moment their city was taken: Of being a little cautious not to sell our country and consciences for nothing: Of teaching landlords to have at least one degree of mercy towards their tenants. Lastly, of putting a spirit of honesty, industry, and skill into our shop-keepers, who, if a resolution could now be taken to buy only our native goods, would immediately unite to cheat and exact upon us in the price, the measure, and the goodness, nor could ever yet be brought to make one fair proposal of just dealing, though often and earnestly invited to it."

Here's a modern example of a Swift kick in an institutional ass:
Clayton Bigsby recoded from a macbook camera. 

I thought about writing a satirical  essay for the Student Union campaign as my creative piece. Our fliers cause enough of a stir. I'm not sure what I have to say would best benefit the Student Union's mission. However, Antioch University claims to be a student centered institution with an extremely top heavy pyramidal structure. Who do you think is at the bottom? The students who PAY to attend. We always hear there is no money for projects or supplies yet some administrators make nearly half a million a year. What about that mission statement of working toward social, economic, and environmental justice? Ridiculous.

 

The Art of Protest and The Protest of Art

Last week we discussed the use of art in protest. Whether intended or not art is always saying something. Purely entertainment art or aesthetic art still carry a message even if it is unintentional.  From decorating signs at a protest to creating a piece of work as protest, art and protest have been intertwined. In part two, of the TV documentary series, The First Amendment Project, titled Poetic License, the controversy surrounding Amiri Baraka's poem "Somebody Blew Up America." The focus is placed on whether or not a couple lines in the poem about Israel were  antisemitic. It is pretty clear to me that there is a difference between Jewish people and Israelis. And its absolutely clear that the lines in question are not antisemitic. But, there was a hub-bub none the less and the governor of New Jersey, who had named Amiri Baraka state poet laureate, terminated the position as some twisted form of justice to an injustice that wasn't committed.

The man is a poet. A well known "controversial" poet. That's basically his thing. 9/11 happens, he's invited to read a poem and he pisses people off. Its shocking that people were surprised!

Sometimes I wonder if there is an art to protesting art. The whole point of art is expression, yet time and time again some one some where wants to kill some one's expression. More often than not, the actual protest of the art does no serve the interests of the protesters, but instead strengthens the artists expression making it available to more and more people. It makes the protested art 'go viral' to put it in Internet speak. Maybe first amendment smashers are really the biggest trolls of all time working for freedom of speech by pretending to kill it.

Speaking of biggest trolls of all time, I watched Exit Through The Gift Shop this weekend and seriously Mr. Brainwash HAS to be fake. Please. Please be fake. Though the possibility of the chain of events unfolding as described by street artists Banksy and Shepard Fairey makes me feel like magic is real. Maybe I can be a wizard some day after all. I think Mr. Brainwash is elaborate prank-performance art on the global capitalist consumer culture that infects the art world, and every facet of Western society. I wonder how Banksy felt when Angelina Jolie bought one of his pieces for like a-jillion-dollarz.

I'm not sure how I feel about the whole thing. Is Banksy pranking us all and making a crap ton of money? What is he using the money for? Are you still a street artist if you're banking, Banksy?

 

AstroTurfing USA

If it doesn’t look like grassroots, smell like grassroots, or grow like grassroots. Its not grassroots.

What do the Tea Party and Occupy Wall Street have in common? Both involve people.

I was under the impression the Tea Party was a grassroots movement that was co-opted by corporate interests. Turns out the Tea Party is an exercise in American propaganda, as it was called before Edward Bernays, a man who argued manipulation of public opinion was a necessary component of democracy, convinced the US establishment to call it public relations.

The Tea Party has huge corporate sponsors, paid organizers, and a clear list of demands pretty much from its birth. Somehow people find it easy to believe that this is a recipe for honest American grassroots political action serving the interest of the average hard working American before corporations.

Occupy Wall street is a real grassroots movement. And how do you know that Amanda?
Because it was disorganized and chaotic. Repeatedly, I heard the criticism that OWS’ers have no list of demands. Repeatedly, I asked, “Have you ever participated in a direct democracy whose members change daily? Me neither, but something tells me you can't easily cook the voting books."

The Occupiers may have been evicted and to many it looks and feels like a failure. For some strange reason, or specifically, early christian indoctrination, the Parable of the Sower comes to mind and this video is an amazing.

Movements can have tons of momentum but die out immediately, they can be co-opted and splintered and the cause suffers, or if the conditions are right the movement can produce effective change over time.

Now, I’m no scientist but, I’m pretty sure AstroTurf will never go to seed.

Sensationalism is the Medium

On 9/11 we read Nora Ephron’s article about Stanley J. Forman’s photos of the 1975 Boston fire. If you haven’t, I recommend reading/viewing. The topic was sensationalism in the media. Calling it 9/11 rather than September 11^th or last Tuesday is a testament to the circus that is The Media. Never Forget. Why not? We typically love cultural amnesia. 

SENSATIONALISM AT ITS FINEST

I had no idea so many of my Facebook friends were into politics. Or calling for the murder of a bad guy in a country they know absolutely nothing about. Man, times are good when I can do my part in saving Africa by watching a 30 minute video on my iPhone at lunch.  All without having to check out the background of the organization, how they spend their money, or if they support military groups accused of looting and raping their fellow citizens, because a hip looking white guy’s very young son opens the film by saying his daddy fights bad guys. It just feels right. I’m going to go with my gut on this one.

After a showing of the ICC's Kony 2012 film in Uganda one victim said, "How can anybody expect a person to wear a T-shirt with Kony’s name on it?’ Many people were asking: ‘Why give such criminals celebrity status? Why not make the plight of the victims and the war-ravaged communities, people whose sufferings are real and visible, the focus of a campaign to help?"

I think the answer is that American's are so distracted by capitalist consumer culture that many of us can't do anything without treating it like a product.

Visit to WYSO

We met with Community Voices coordinator, Sarah Buckingham, to get some ideas on how to use the studio as a resource in our final project. Sarah gave us a tour of the new facility. The highlight by far--beside seeing our classmate, Jerry Kenney, irl while ON AIR-- was the Archives room. Wall to wall music. Every type of recording medium since 1958. Heavenly.


Each year from January to June WYSO offers a training course on Saturdays to teach the community how to produce radio stories. This year WYSO is running a pilot class for Antioch University students. If all goes well students from any campus can take the course for undergraduate credit. 

Sarah gave us a sort of flash-class in Vox Pop. Vox Pop is short for vox populi which is Latin for voice of the people. We discussed techniques and technicalities such as fair use, how to hold the mic, how background noise can make or break a production, and tips for writing for radio.

I recently went to Albuquerque, New Mexico for vacation. On my return flight my friend, Jessie and I began talking to the woman in the window seat of our row. Jessie has takeoff and landing anxiety, but the woman, a frequent flyer reassured her we wouldn’t die. Throughout the flight we made small talk with the woman. She had an issue of Essence magazine with a spread of Jada Pinkett Smith and her new website dontsellbodies.org. About mid flight the woman admits that she grew up with Jada and was on a tour of youth centers to speak about Human Trafficking--funded by Jada’s organization. I gave her a brief (and uncomplicated) history of Antioch and we exchanged emails.

At first I was convinced I’d pick a smaller local issue for my final project. Human Trafficking may be a global issue but it happens in our communities across the U.S.

Here’s a link to a piece about Human Trafficking by Sarah Buckingham.

Child Sex Trafficking: A Statewide Problem

The Revolution will not be televised

 

It will be tweeted.

Last Tuesday was the first day of Social Media and Social Change with Nathan Singer.  I prepared for class with this book.

A book of tweets. Someone in class asked me to read some of the tweets. She was obviously unfamiliar with Twitter. No one who knows what Twitter is would want a book of tweets read aloud. 

The editors recommend reading this book as a Twitter user reads tweets, skimming to those tweets the user finds relevant or catches the eye. Sections are broken up in themes such as, The Spark, Anticipation, and The Revolution Deepens, with short summaries by the editors. This new method of recording a historical narrative (all histories are narratives) maybe a better way to capture a people’s history rather than a white-washed establishment version.

A study of the role of social media in the Arab Spring by The Project on Information Technology and Political Islam at the University of Washington's Department of Communication concluded that,

“ 1) Social media played a central role in shaping political debates in the Arab Spring.

2) A spike in online media revolutionary conversations often preceded major events on    the ground.

3) Social media helped spread democratic ideas across international borders.”

 (Can't wait to see how this data is used to suppress resistance movements in the near future!) 

But it was the following piece of data that sparked my interest.

 “Over the course of a week before Mubarak’s resignation, the total rate of tweets from Egypt—and around the world—about political change in that country ballooned from 2,300 a day to 230,000 a day.”

The Internet has personalized globalization. Platforms like Facebook and Twitter allow people to connect instantly around the globe. But only the privileged have the means to be connected at all times. Still the relatively small number of people with constant access to the Internet creates an atmosphere in which the alienated can feel connected not only with her fellow countrymen but also with the world. 

The American government has installed dictators and supported authoritarian regimes for their own benefit. Thankfully Social Media allowed for the People of the Arab and Western world to experience solidarity. Person to Person. Facebook to Facebook. 140 characters at a time.