I don't know what it is about media and the holiday season, but all I keep reading about in the "life" section of press these days is
1) Christmas
2) Break ups
What? What? What? So 2010.
Weird...
LBB
ps: New Years Resolution - write on this dang thang. way more.
mercredi 15 décembre 2010
mardi 16 novembre 2010
ConU Inc.
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According to Concordia’s administration, David Bernans is a risk to be assessed.
Making headlines after the university’s Risk Assessment Committee banned him from holding a book reading on campus in 2006, the author of Con U Inc. and North of 9/11 will speak on Wednesday as part of a week-long “Ask Why” awareness campaign organized by various student groups.
Bernans caught up with The Link to talk about the university’s senior administration, the changing role of the Concordia Student Union and how students can—and should—mobilize to reclaim space.
When asked what students should demand of the administration in a time where the tuition freeze has thawed and corporate interests trump ethical purchasing in private/public contracts, Bernans said it all comes down to access.
“Why aren’t [students] given public space to promote and hold events, to organize, to question established truths, to be critical of the relationships between ConU and the corporate powers that be and to encourage independent, critical thought?” he asked in an interview on Nov. 14. “Moreover, why is our administration and Board of Governors dominated by corporate interests with secret exclusivity agreements in a supposedly-public institution?”
Closely following the events surrounding the recently renewed PepsiCo. contract, Bernans said he wasn’t surprised that the administration went ahead with the deal in spite of promises of student consultation.
“It’s to be expected in the current context,” he said. “[The administration] is a structure that has been set up to run—even thought it’s a public institution—like a private corporation.”
With competing visions for Concordia’s future, Bernans explained that, “at some points historically students have made gains, and at others, the corporations and administration get what they want. Now it’s clear students want to swing the pendulum the other way.”
Bernans also said student powerlessness and apathy is part of a problem with the way the student union has evolved over the years, in terms of prompting “general assembly and direct democracy” as a way to make decisions and mobilize the student body.
Back in his day, Bernans said, the CSU would challenge the administration—and would actually win sometimes.
In 1999, before Tim Hortons was a fixture in the Hall Building, altercations between security and the CSU over tabling space exemplified “the leadership students should be looking to put in place today.”
As student groups were distributing information about a general assembly—that eventually led to a three-day student strike—security attempted to evict them from the premises on the ground floor of the Hall Building.
“We just called the student executives down, who sat with us,” recounted Bernans. “The CSU told the security at the time to arrest us if they needed us to move. And then they basically told the administration, ‘you have two choices: let us do the mobilizing ourselves, or do it for us—if you arrest us for tabling, students will mobilize around that. The choice is yours.’”
Being a student leader is not just about representing students on a board somewhere, he continued.
“That’s not an effective way of dealing with bureaucracy or making any kind of significant gains,” he explained. “You need to elect student leaders who will actually encourage activism, who get students organized and behind them when they say to the administration ‘these are student interests, you can follow through or face the consequences.’ With this approach, the university will listen. They have to.”
When asked if there was anything students should know about university space before speaking on Wednesday—security risk assessment pending—Bernans was very direct.
“My advice is to take it. Take the space. I mean that quite literally,” he said. “That’s how student space was won in the past. The reason students don’t have [space] anymore is because they didn’t fight to keep it. Fight for it.
“Hopefully, the CSU will follow and realize their role is not to represent students to the administration but to mobilize and to reinvigorate the institution of direct democracy.”
Catch David Bernans on the 7th floor of the Hall Building this Wednesday, Nov. 17 from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. To read the entire interview, check out thelinknewspaper.ca
This article originally appeared in The Link volume 31, Issue 14, published November 16, 2010.
According to Concordia’s administration, David Bernans is a risk to be assessed.
Making headlines after the university’s Risk Assessment Committee banned him from holding a book reading on campus in 2006, the author of Con U Inc. and North of 9/11 will speak on Wednesday as part of a week-long “Ask Why” awareness campaign organized by various student groups.
Bernans caught up with The Link to talk about the university’s senior administration, the changing role of the Concordia Student Union and how students can—and should—mobilize to reclaim space.
When asked what students should demand of the administration in a time where the tuition freeze has thawed and corporate interests trump ethical purchasing in private/public contracts, Bernans said it all comes down to access.
“Why aren’t [students] given public space to promote and hold events, to organize, to question established truths, to be critical of the relationships between ConU and the corporate powers that be and to encourage independent, critical thought?” he asked in an interview on Nov. 14. “Moreover, why is our administration and Board of Governors dominated by corporate interests with secret exclusivity agreements in a supposedly-public institution?”
Closely following the events surrounding the recently renewed PepsiCo. contract, Bernans said he wasn’t surprised that the administration went ahead with the deal in spite of promises of student consultation.
“It’s to be expected in the current context,” he said. “[The administration] is a structure that has been set up to run—even thought it’s a public institution—like a private corporation.”
With competing visions for Concordia’s future, Bernans explained that, “at some points historically students have made gains, and at others, the corporations and administration get what they want. Now it’s clear students want to swing the pendulum the other way.”
Bernans also said student powerlessness and apathy is part of a problem with the way the student union has evolved over the years, in terms of prompting “general assembly and direct democracy” as a way to make decisions and mobilize the student body.
Back in his day, Bernans said, the CSU would challenge the administration—and would actually win sometimes.
In 1999, before Tim Hortons was a fixture in the Hall Building, altercations between security and the CSU over tabling space exemplified “the leadership students should be looking to put in place today.”
As student groups were distributing information about a general assembly—that eventually led to a three-day student strike—security attempted to evict them from the premises on the ground floor of the Hall Building.
“We just called the student executives down, who sat with us,” recounted Bernans. “The CSU told the security at the time to arrest us if they needed us to move. And then they basically told the administration, ‘you have two choices: let us do the mobilizing ourselves, or do it for us—if you arrest us for tabling, students will mobilize around that. The choice is yours.’”
Being a student leader is not just about representing students on a board somewhere, he continued.
“That’s not an effective way of dealing with bureaucracy or making any kind of significant gains,” he explained. “You need to elect student leaders who will actually encourage activism, who get students organized and behind them when they say to the administration ‘these are student interests, you can follow through or face the consequences.’ With this approach, the university will listen. They have to.”
When asked if there was anything students should know about university space before speaking on Wednesday—security risk assessment pending—Bernans was very direct.
“My advice is to take it. Take the space. I mean that quite literally,” he said. “That’s how student space was won in the past. The reason students don’t have [space] anymore is because they didn’t fight to keep it. Fight for it.
“Hopefully, the CSU will follow and realize their role is not to represent students to the administration but to mobilize and to reinvigorate the institution of direct democracy.”
Catch David Bernans on the 7th floor of the Hall Building this Wednesday, Nov. 17 from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. To read the entire interview, check out thelinknewspaper.ca
This article originally appeared in The Link volume 31, Issue 14, published November 16, 2010.
mardi 16 février 2010
mercredi 10 février 2010
back in action?
I fucked the dog for awhile there, sorry.
You all know this expression, I assume? I didn't. I figured it was one of those random Quebec things where you just don't ask why tsé? But I'm back, & I'm busy, but I didn't forget about the manstream or feminism since taking up the oath of paper, I swear.
I really do like "new" technology as much as the next guy, even if I have to defend my lack of cell phone on a regular basis. So I'm going to make a concerted effort to blog more and hopefully some time diversifyin' with Artistic Things (where I swiped this lovely graphic, btw) will help me keep current here, too.
But outside of cyberspace, here's what I've been up to for the last couple of weeks:
Good art at a good place
- Lots of Canadian press. Go student jobs?
- & this interview made me want to do a wing-stretching ceremony. holy shit.
mardi 19 janvier 2010
the NASHlow
WHEREAS sketchy Internet connection that was often nonexistent plunged us journalists against our will back to the dark days of "traditional" media where a hard copy, hotel-provided G&M was the only source of outside news besides the interweb on Blackberries and iPhones,
WHEREAS a combination of 10-hour plenary and lack of Interweb made me want to stab out my eyeballs with a pen, and joke motions are only funny for ten minutes,
BIRT, despite these facts, the inside of the Radisson was overwhelmingly abuzz with activity last week, hosting NASH 72: Natural Selection - a Canadian University Press conference that brought people on papers from coast to coast to hear speakers, participate in workshops and party like a good ol' fashioned gin-soaked journalist stereotype.
-----
Much was discussed: "new" media, bilingualism in CUP, the lack of Internet (seriously, wtf. It's the national journalism conference!), authenticity, Jan Wong, Twitter, "innovation" (though just how innovative can a panelist of upper-middle class white guys actually be?), the failed attempts of everyone to have a good time on Whyte Ave, Adrienne Arsenault, line dancing and FUCKING PLENARY JOKE MOTIONS.
Much was learned: the evolution of the craft, our roles in new media, the individual as a media entity (branded - like Perez), how to create good interviews, the importance of connecting with people like you (and the people you like)*, that "you don't stop fighting in this business," the difference between 'linkers' and 'thinkers' on the big ol' blogosphere, the importance of packaging the product, the value-added experience you can't get on the net, defamation, libel and responsible journalism, being better at your job than at your life, and, finally, that Alberta Pure will lead nowhere sanctimonious but a stairwell.
It was a blast.
I had the pleasure to meeting many, many colleagues on Canadian student press—by way of exchanging cards, kudos, ideas, pitches, spliffs, beers, and an overwhelming distaste for Edmonton—and look so, so forward to keeping up with what they're up to in the future.
I left the conference today feeling quite excited and inspired. I have been writing mental lists of things to do to keep connections alive and better the paper, in between obsessively reading CUPpies and my newfound student journalism friends online. I am so impressed with the breadth of skill and labour put into our beloved weeklies, biweekly, monthlies - and have a renewed dedication to creating and challenging my expectations of this craft.
When NASH 73 rolls into MONTREAL, I will be there and it is going to fucking rule.
Expect a forthcoming hyperlink mania, Loco.
*shout out to The Manitoban, The Muse, The McGill Daily, The Aquinian, The Uniter... and fuck, I love The Concordian, too.
mardi 12 janvier 2010
genderfuck that runway
photo: style.com
Have you seen this fabness from Elise Overland's spring 2010 collection?! I'm not one to pretend that I know a damn thing about the industry, but this is exactly what it's needed for awhile now. THIS is the type of fashion I like. F the conventional, man... (or...)
p.s. - This is not a fashion blog... despite what the last two posts might look like.
samedi 9 janvier 2010
a plus-must
These are already all over the internet, but I love them in their entirety: the rolls, the curves, the lines. Everything makes me want to grab. V magazine have outdone themselves, this time around. This should be the norm, normally.
!more cushion,
Loco
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