Friday, January 7, 2011

OPIRG Brock Weekly Events Newsletter

OPIRG BROCK
WEEKLY EVENTS NEWSLETTER
January 10-16
 
People from all walks of life are invited to participate in the research, education, and action facilitated through OPIRG Brock – including not only students but interested community members.  All events listed occur in St. Catharines unless indicated otherwise.  For a map of the Brock Campus please see:  http://www.brocku.ca/parking-services/campus-map.  To learn more about OPIRG Brock please see our website at: www.opirgbrock.org.  To submit events for inclusion in the newsletter please email opirgbu@gmail.com, we’d love to hear from you.
 
 
Volunteer Opportunities!
 
 
Kind Cycle Project
Thursdays, 10am-4 pm, OPIRG Brock InfoShop, 10 Summer St.
We are delighted to announce the return of the Kind Cycle project for those needing bike repairs (especially those who can't afford such things) on Thursdays.  The Kind Cycle project is free to those in need, and by donation if possible.   If you are interested in learning how to fix bikes, and want to help out with this project, please stop by at the InfoShop between 10am-4pm on Thursdays.
 
Travel During Reading Week - Mississippi Gulf Coast, Helping a Community in Need
Are you interested in spending Reading Week building houses? Interested in travelling to a community in need? If you said yes to these, then we have the trip for you! Join 50 other students this February in Mississippi and make a difference by participating in the Alternative Spring Break program! The week will be spent building houses, doing a small beach clean-up project on the Gulf Coast, and enjoying the sunshine! We’ll embrace the community and culture of this location and also have chance to have some fun in the evenings when the work is complete!  The trip is being offered at a great low cost of $475 for the entire week (travel, accommodation, most meals, supplies for building, etc. included)!
Applications are open on-line and there are 15 spaces left on a first-come, first-serve basis so check out www.brocku.ca/residence  for more details or contact Sandy Howe (showe@brocku.ca, ext. 4126).
 
 
 
Events!
 
 
Petition for Publically Accessible Organic Waste Bins and Organic Waste Collection for Compost on Campus at Brock University
Monday January 10- Thursday January 13, 11am-3pm, Mackenzie Chown A Block, Brock University
 
Food for thought:
Food rotting in landfills contributes to global warming. 
Food waste rotting in landfills is the second-largest source of methane emissions. (Colin Beavin, No Impact Man, 2009, 237). 
Methane emissions are a major contributor to climate change.
In the Niagara Region 1/3 of all household waste is organics. (http://niagararegion.ca/living/waste/Organics.aspx)
Currently Brock composts organic waste in cafeterias but there is not a significant presence of bins for organic waste that students/faculty/staff and community members can access. 
Engaged Citizens Organized (ECO) and OPIRG have created a petition requesting that there be at least one publically available organic waste bin with collection for composting in each building on campus at Brock University as well as an educational campaign to encourage active participation in the organic waste composting program.  Please stop by our table in Mackenzie Chown Block A between 11am-3pm between January 10-13 to sign the petition.  For a copy of the petition (e.g. to bring to your classes to fill out) see the OPIRG website at http://opirgbrock.org/files/Organics%20on%20Campus%20Petition-1.pdf. 
All signed petitions can be brought to the OPIRG-Brock, 204 Alumni Students Centre, Brock University, 500 Glenridge Ave., St. Catharines, ON, L2S 3A1.  Email opirgbu@gmail.com with any questions.
 
Brock Animal Rights Club Events on Campus
Tuesday January 11and Thursday January 13, 11am-3pm, Mackenzie Chown A Block, Brock University
 
Stop by and see members of the international award winning group BARC who will be hosting a table on animal testing on Tuesday from 11am-3pm in Mackenzie Chown Block A.  On Thursday come by and taste some delicious, nutritious and cruelty-free vegan chili Thursday January 13 between 11am-3pm in Mackenzie Chown Block A.
 
Free! Juggling in St. Catharines
Tuesdays, 4:30 pm, Start Me Up Niagara, 17 Gale Crescent, St. Catharines
 
Come to a free and fun event: Juggling in St Catharines at Start Me Up Niagara.  Everyone welcome.  Please bring indoor shoes!  For more information and/or to invite the club to your organization call Quentin 905 964 4989 or Angela 905 348 7283.  You can also look up the Thorold Juggling Club on Facebook.
 
Annual General Meeting, PFLAG (Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays) Canada St. Catharines  
Tuesday, January 11, 7pm, Quest Community Health Centre meeting room,
Suite 100, 145 Queenston St. (at Vine St.), St. Catharines, Free parking in the rear, off Vine St.
  
PFLAG Canada St. Catharines invites you to our first meeting of the year.  As always we will spend the first hour in discussion, everyone sharing questions, concerns, and experiences about how sexual orientation and gender identity affects us and our families.  All discussion is held in confidence.
 
The second, business part of the evening, is officially our Annual General Meeting.  We do invite anyone interested to become part of our executive or our volunteer team.  Election, or affirmation, of officers will be held, a brief annual report given, and plans for the coming year discussed. Please join us, bring friends and family.  We look forward to seeing you!
 
Free! Documentary Screening: Poor No More
Tuesday January 11, 8 pm, OPIRG Brock InfoShop, 10 Summer St.
 
Come down to the InfoShop for riveting film and delicious popcorn and refreshments.  Film to be followed by discussion. I'm pleased to announce the screening of a recent Canadian documentary called Poor No More.   This documentary looks at how the recession has affected Canada's working poor.  Corporate profits continued to soar, but only the rich got richer. The recession took away more jobs and piled up more debt, leaving more people poor or insecure.  The film asks three Canadians to imagine a world where people do not have to beg, where housing is affordable and university education is free.  They go on a journey to Ireland and Sweden to see how these countries have tackled poverty while strengthening their economies.  Poor No More addresses the roots of the economic crisis, its impact on Canadians, and what can be done about it.  Produced with the guidance of poverty activists, professors, and non-profits such as the Ontario Coalition for Social Justice and the National Anti-Poverty Organization, this film strives to build public support for a real reduction in poverty.
 
Art Show: The Make-Believe Militia
Friday January 14, 7-10pm, OPIRG Brock InfoShop, 10 Summer St.
 
The Make-Believe Militia is a group art exhibition which challenges modern societal preconceptions of “harmless entertainment,” through works ranging from illustration and video to sculpture and craft. Diverse as the media are they share one common thread, which is the relationship between violent children’s toys and war paraphernalia.
The exhibition features the work of five local artists, including Brock University Visual Arts students Miranda Austin, Tiffany Howes, Julia Prudhomme, and Bethany Scholl, as well as recent graduate Michael DiRisio.
Please join us for this free community event, with vegetarian and vegan snacks!
 
 
Other Newsworthy Notes!
 
Free Skool Classes Are Here!
January-April Term Lineup 2011, Stay Tuned for More Classes
 
The OPIRG-Brock FreeSkool project is designed to challenge the hierarchical and institutional way learning is primarily conducted in our community. We reject the notion that only some kinds of knowledge are valuable, or that only certain people are 'accredited' enough to share information. We embrace radical accessibility, critical consciousness, and community-centred learning.  As an organization committed to the relationships between research, education and action we urge all participants - teachers and students - to think about how learning and skill/knowledge-sharing without borders will help us foster a more just community. See details about enrolment below.  For most classes enrolment IS NOT required to participate, but it will help each teacher prepare for their course. 
 
We are excited to offer a wide selection of creative and diverse FreeSkool classes this term.  The classes are all free of charge and offered by our generous volunteers to make education accessible to all.  It is a great opportunity to meet people interested in learning about the same things you are.  If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to contact opirgbu@gmail.com. Poetry under a Proverbial Magnifying Glass: Understand it, Write it, Publish it
Instructor: Kim Dawson
Contact: kd07hh@brocku.ca
Day/Time: Bi-weekly on Monday’s starting January 10, 3-4 pm
Location: InfoShop, 10 Summer Street (right behind Pizza Pizza on St. Paul Street)

Poetry is in the wrinkly rainbow that brightens every gas puddle, it emanates from the sunrise grin that spreads across your little sister’s face, it hides in the busy hustle bustle sway of a brisk New York noon.  This is a six week, bi-weekly course in which you will be provided with an overview of what has constituted great poetry throughout time, and come to understand what great poetry looks like in a contemporary context.  After studying this art you will have the opportunity to create your own poem/poems to share. The last class will be about finding publication in our competitive world where everyone seems to be hunting for a public voice.  Anyone of any level of experience is welcome!  Come to any class or many classes...you don't need to attend them all.  For the first class on Monday January 10 please bring in a poem you like, or a book of poems you like.

The Art of Breaking Boundaries
Instructor: Mike DiRisio
Contact: mike.dirisio@gmail.com
Day/Time: Monday January 17, and then weekly beginning on January 31, 6-7 pm
Location: InfoShop, 10 Summer Street (right behind Pizza Pizza on St. Paul Street)
 
This class provides an opportunity for anyone interested in creating visual art to get together, meet and learn from other artists, and experiment with new techniques and media.  No artistic background or experience is required, as each class will begin with the basics.  Mediums and techniques may include drawing, painting, sculpture, found object, collage, printmaking (as we have access to a silkscreen) or anything else we can dream up.  Each week will focus on a particular medium or combination of media (please contact instructor for schedule). As we get more comfortable with each medium, the class will act as a space to be creative and push boundaries. For more advanced students, we will also discuss ways in which the arts can address social and political issues, and act as a powerful means for social change. Please bring art supplies with you, as there will be a limited number of extra materials.  In the first class we will discuss which media and techniques we're all interested in, and make the schedule of weekly media. The schedule of weekly media will then be posted on the OPIRG website (under the description of the class).
 
Introduction to Africa
Instructor: Andrew Barclay
Day/Time: January 24 and February 21 from 7-9pm
Location: InfoShop, 10 Summer Street (right behind Pizza Pizza on St. Paul Street)
 
This FreeSkool class will attempt to outline the individual history of specific African states.  Too often Africa is categorized as one simple homogenous entity, this class will help explain some of the differences between states, and show some of the important changes that have occurred since decolonization.  The first three lectures will focus on southern Africa.  In two separate lectures we will look at apartheid South Africa and Namibia.  The third lecture will address the economic development of Botswana.  The last three lectures will look at central Africa, with a lecture on the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Rwandan genocide, and post colonial Uganda.  There will also be a bonus lecture on the Western Sahara and Morocco.  
 
Hactivism and Digital Rights
Instructor: Daniel McCarney
Day/Time: If you are interested contact Daniel and he will arrange a time that fits both of your schedules.
Location: InfoShop, 10 Summer Street (right behind Pizza Pizza on St. Paul Street)
 
The speed at which the Internet became intertwined with our lives, our infrastructure, and our planet hasn’t allowed for public knowledge and legislation to keep up.  The goal of this course is to inform at a higher level, and recommend solutions or techniques that are accessible to the average person.  Ultimately awareness is the primary objective.  The word hacker has been sullied by popular culture to the point where the original meaning is lost.  Hacktivism is a prime example of where fear can be replaced with support.  Groups like the Cult of the Dead Cow’s Hactivismo arm work to develop tools that can be used by people in countries like China to talk freely without fear of Government intervention.  During the student protests in Iran, hactivists were able to set up secure anonymous relays to let repressed citizens reach out to the world via Twitter and other websites blocked by the Government. Topics that will be covered include: Censorship, Privacy, and Anonymity; Hactivism (Wikileaks, the EFF, etc.); Free Software (Free as in freedom, not in the price-tag sense); Digital Rights Management (the defective by design movement); and Maker culture (Recycling Technology, repurposing it, DIY hacker spaces).
 
Current Events Conversation Circle
Instructor: Peter Lozinov
Day/Time: Monthly on the first Friday of the month, 11am-12pm, OPIRG Office
Location: OPIRG Brock University Office, Room 204 in the Student Alumni Centre at Brock University
 
Are you interested in current events?  Philosophical issues?  Controversial scientific findings?  While magazines, news outlets and the internet are great sources of such information; they often provide no chance for dialogue.  The Current Events FreeSkool allows you the opportunity to discuss your thoughts and opinions in an open-minded forum.  Once a month we discuss a pertinent philosophical or social issue, such as the roots of evil, the encroaching boundaries of technology, or the ethics of the Iraq war.  Everyone is welcome to attend and alternative perspectives are welcome.  Drop on by and bring your opinion along.
 
Introduction to Knitting/Crocheting
Instructor: Nicole Jol
Contact: nj08ti@brocku.ca
Day/Time: Weekly on Fridays from 1-2pm
Location: InfoShop, 10 Summer Street (right behind Pizza Pizza on St. Paul Street)

Over the course of the term the basics of crocheting or the basics knitting will be taught – the focus of the class will be based on the feedback of students.  Proper technique for holding either a set of knitting needles or a crochet hook will be demonstrated.  The basic stitches necessary for creating projects will be taught.  The terminology involved in different kinds of stitches will be explained.  Students will be taught how to read knitting patterns so that following those patterns at home can be accomplished.  Needles and yarn will be provided during the learning process.  After this people can chose small projects they desire to complete before the end of the semester. There will be a trip to a store to purchase yarn and needles if need be. The weeks following will be devoted to finishing those projects in a relaxing environment with others, where I can help with any problems people may be experiencing.
 
Introductory French
Instructor: Eric Michaud
Day/Time: Tuesday February 22, Wednesday February 23, Thursday February 24, 1:30-3:30 pm
Location: Contact Eric for class location on Brock Campus.
 
This introductory French course is offered to those who wish to learn how to speak French.  Students will learn French through learning French words.  The instructor will show and read French terms to the students and provide English translations.  Following this the students will attempt to repeat and memorize the French terms. The instructor will accept ideas about anything that students wish to learn in the course.  For example, if you wish to learn about French Canadian culture please email the instructor and he will seek to include it in the course plan, which will reflect what the majority of the class would like to learn about French.
 
IMPACT Youth Conferencefor Sustainability Leadership, September 15-18, University of Guelph
Deadline for Submissions, January 23 2011
 
If, in September 2011, you are between the ages of 19 & 25; attending a Canadian university or college in any discipline; and are passionate about sustainability; this unique bilingual program is for you.
 
All conference, transportation, accommodation and meal expenses are fully covered. Your contribution is one of time and commitment - time to prepare and collaborate prior to the conference and the commitment to stay networked to other outstanding Canadian student leaders and to initiate change in your community.
-165 university and college students from across Canada
-Explore real sustainability solutions with national business and sustainability leaders
-All conference expenses paid!
-Note that the application will close onJanuary 23, 2011 at midnight.  All eligible applicants will be notified on the status of their application by the end of March, 2011.

For more information see:http://www.impactyouthsustainability.ca/homepage
Posted by at 1:26 PM